Gray Sweater, Blue Shirt, and Low Slung Sweatpants
by 554Laura
Summary: This bit of fluff was inspired by an online chat with FaithinBones about the clothing we'd like to see on Booth again before the show ends. There are other clothing items I might like to see on him, but there's only so many I can put in one chapter. Suggestions? Let me know. I don't own Bones, but my imagination does like to run amok with the characters.
1. Chapter 1

Booth hurried to unlock the front door to his house as he balanced Hank on his hip, eager to escape the cold. It had been a miserable day...training a bunch of rookies on how to handle hostage situations while being at an outdoor venue on a wet winter's afternoon was near the top of Booth's most hated work related activities, but he was home now...time to relax and enjoy the evening with his family.

He reached down to put Hank in his playpen before shrugging off his navy blue topcoat and hanging it in the hall closet. "Now you just sit there a minute, buddy, while Daddy goes to change clothes. Then we'll see about some dinner, okay?"

Hank happily began to wave the large plastic blocks in the playpen as he smiled at his father. "Good...you play. I'll be right back." Retreating to his bedroom, Booth took off his light gray pullover sweater and laid it over the back of a chair. He'd needed layers against the cold while outside this afternoon, but it was too warm in the house to leave it on for long. He removed his gray and blue striped tie and started to unbutton his shirt when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He knew how much Bones loved this color on him, and he had to admit...French blue was a nice color. He grinned as he twitched an eyebrow at his reflection. Maybe, just maybe, he might get a little action from his wife tonight if he left this shirt on instead of changing into one of his comfortably ragged tee shirts…He unbuttoned another button, exposing more of the white tee shirt underneath and chuckled to himself. Who knew that a blue broadcloth buttoned down shirt could be such a turn on, right? It's a good thing he didn't wear one everyday or he'd never get to work… He changed out of his slacks and was ready to look for a clean pair of jeans when he heard Hank give out a lusty wail. "Jesus...now what?" Grabbing his phone from the dresser, he quickly threw on a pair of his old sweatpants over his briefs and pulled them up just far enough to be decent before running to the family room check on his son.

Hank stopped crying as soon as he saw his daddy come into the room, but the little boy's pouty face was still in evidence. "Well, no wonder you're mad.", Booth told his son. "You threw all of your blocks out of the playpen." Booth bent over to pick up the blocks and handed them to his son, who laughed gleefully. "Okay, enough of that game…" Booth's phone chimed to let him know he'd received a text.

 _Taking Christine to Jennifer's house for sleepover. Stopping for some errands: returning books, for gas and milk etc. Spaghetti in fridge for Hank. See you soon. B._

"Okay, Hank...looks like it's dinner time." Booth picked up the baby and got him fastened into his high chair, wrapping his bib around him. "Gotta nuke some noodles...Mommy says this is special organic non GMO tomato sauce and whole wheat noodles, but it just looks like plain ol' spaghetti to me." Hank watched with interest as his daddy got the small plate out of the microwave and came to sit down next to him. "Here we go, buddy...let's try a bite of sketti, okay?" Booth brought a spoonful of food up to the baby's mouth, but Hank turned away just in time to get a cheekful of sauce. "Come on, now...eat up. Mommy says it's good for you." Another spoonful, another miss...this time the sauce ended up down the front of Hank's bib. "Here we go, little man...here comes the airplane…" Booth did a double loop with the spoon, much to Hank's amusement, but the baby refused to open his mouth when it was time to land the spoon, and he ended up with a chin covered with sauce.

Booth was getting exasperated. "I know you like this stuff...is it too hot?" He took a bite to test it. "Nope, just right. Look, son...this is good stuff, and you gotta eat. No taking after your mommy, okay?" Hearing his phone chime again, Booth set the plate of spaghetti on the highchair tray and went to retrieve it from the family room, leaving Hank to gather fistfuls of noodles and sauce in the few minutes he was gone. "Wrong number...oh my God...look at you…" Booth quickly grabbed a nearby dish towel and tried to clean up the giant mess before him.

Hank's smiling face was covered with spaghetti sauce, and several noodles were stuck in his hair, ears, down the front of his bib and even on the front of his diaper. Hank had enjoyed the game of having Daddy retrieve what he threw out of the playpen, so a fistful of noodles soon hit the floor, accompanied by the baby's happy laugher. Booth bent over to pick up the noodles with the towel and sat up just in time to have another handful of noodles and sauce hit the front of his blue dress shirt as the plate landed on the floor.

"Arrgh! Look at my shirt! I guess I should've worn a bib, too, right, Hank? Okay, now that's enough…" Booth quickly stripped out of his shirt and put it in the sink to soak before picking up the plate. "So I get it, okay? No spaghetti, alright? Let's see what else we can find…" Booth pulled out some tubs of homemade baby food from the refrigerator, and opened them as he sat down by the high chair again. Sniffing them, he grimaced slightly as he showed the contents of the containers to Hank. "This looks like carrots and maybe some chicken…" Finally, after a few minutes of work, Booth was able to get enough food into the baby to make both of them happy, but after cleaning up the mess left by dinner, his white tee shirt was now filthy, spotted with several different kinds of pureed meats and vegetables.

"Bath time for the Tiger!" Booth pulled off his dirty tee shirt, and, hitching up his sweatpants, bent over his son to scrub the spaghetti sauce out of his ears and hair. "You're supposed to eat your dinner, not wear it, buddy." He dried the baby with a fluffy towel, put him in his pajamas, and after reading a story and rocking Hank for a few minutes, laid him in his crib. Turning off the light, he watched as the baby relaxed and drifted off to sleep. "Good night, Hank."

Exhausted from the battle that had ensued over dinner, Booth grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and sat down to watch a hockey game. He was a little chilly without a shirt, but at that moment he was too worn out to go get one from the bedroom. He tried to concentrate on the game, but soon he was drifting off to sleep. Booth was stretched out on the sofa, napping peacefully, when Brennan came home.

Brennan took a few minutes to appreciate the amazing sight before her. She'd always appreciated how good Booth looked in his clothes, but without much clothing...it was even better. In fact, spectacular was the first word that came to her mind to describe his appearance. One arm was behind his head, while the other was flung across his abdomen, giving her an impressive view of the well defined musculature of his arms. She studied his bare chest with appreciation, watching as his large, well developed pectoral, latissimus and serratus muscles flexed and extended during his rhythmic breathing. And then there were those abs...rock hard and well delineated right down to his inguinal creases, exposed by the sweatpants that were riding low on his torso. It was enough to leave her breathless. "Magnificent…" she whispered as she sat down on the edge of the sofa and ran her hand across his chest. She knew she was truly fortunate to have a mate with such a pleasant physique, and she couldn't resist the urge to touch him…

"Bones?", Booth mumbled in his sleep.

"Well, of course. Who else would you expect it to be?" Brennan giggled at her groggy husband. "Is Hank in bed?"

"Hmm? Yeah…" Booth was still a little drowsy until he realized that her caresses were becoming more purposeful. "We made kind of a big mess at dinner, so I gave him a bath and…"

"Is that why you're shirtless? Aren't you cold?" She smiled as she ran her nails down his arms, raising goosebumps on his skin as she did so.

"Well, maybe a little, but my shirts got dirty, and I was too lazy to go put another one on…" Booth smiled as he reached up to embrace his wife. "...especially when I was hoping I'd just have to take it off as soon as you got home…"

Brennan smiled demurely as she ran her fingers across Booth's abs. "I haven't had any dinner yet...have you? I'm a little bit hungry..."

"Not a problem." He got up from the sofa and hitched up his pants a bit. "I'll just go heat us up some spaghetti."

Brennan once again paused to admire the appearance of her husband in his scant clothing. She reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him down to sit next to her on the sofa. "Never mind…", she said, kissing him tenderly as she snuggled close to him. "I want dessert first."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This chapter takes place in season 7, before Christine was born. It's set in the Mighty Hut. I probably won't have a definite schedule for posting these vignettes...it's mostly as the mood strikes, but this one just popped into my mind this evening..._

Booth ran upstairs to his bedroom after his morning jog. Glancing at his watch, he figured he didn't have enough time for a nice long soak in the tub this morning. He had to get to the hardware store to get some odds and ends he needed to put the finishing touches on the Mighty Hut before the baby came. He figured the house was about ninety percent finished, but the little things that were left were bugging him. He also needed gas in the SUV, and he wanted to be back in time to have his lunch made so he could be on the sofa and ready for the Phillies/Nationals game by noon.

Quickly untying his shoes, he threw them into the bottom of the closet and went into the bathroom to shower. Stripping off his snug black tee shirt and sweatpants he pretended to be in the NBA making three point baskets as he tossed his clothes into the laundry hamper. He stood for a minute looking at his reflection in the mirror, pleased that the effort he'd made to work out more often had resulted in better muscle definition in his upper body. Add to that the physical labor involved in rebuilding an entire house from an empty shell in a very short period of time, and Booth felt like he was a man in pretty good shape. He grinned at himself as he flexed his pecs and biceps...first one side and then the other. He could just imagine what Bones would have to say about this overt display of his masculinity, virility, and to be honest, his vanity. She'd probably scold him for being a stereotypical alpha male, but he knew that she secretly loved it when he flexed his muscles like that, and he often liked to show off his biceps just to hear her giggle softly as she rolled her eyes at the display. She always protested that he needed to be more evolved, but she definitely liked the primal side of him as well, and as an alpha female, she really wanted him to be her own personal alpha male, a fact which she'd demonstrated to him multiple times last night. Last night...that was great...wow...he loved it when Bones took control in the lovemaking department. It was making him hot just thinking about it...

Oh, yeah...time to get into the shower. He ran the water until it was really hot, and steam was already beginning to fill the bathroom. He stood under the steady stream from the showerhead, enjoying the play of the water on his slightly sore muscles, closing his eyes as he began to relax under the warmth. Aaah...nice. His eyes were still closed as he reached over to get his bar of soap...but the niche were the soap should be sitting was empty. _Where the hell is my soap?_ Opening his eyes, he looked around on the shower floor, but there was no bar of soap anywhere to be seen. _Now what?_ He picked up the bottle of shower gel that Bones normally used and grimaced as he read the name: _Cucumber Pearberry Cherry Fantasy...no way I'm gonna use this crap...a man's gotta smell like a man, not a fruit salad._ Sighing, Booth turned the water off, and dripping water everywhere, went to look through the bathroom closet. _I know we have some Ivory soap...I know I bought some yesterday. WHERE THE HELL IS MY IVORY SOAP?_

Then he remembered where his soap was. It was still on the kitchen counter where he'd left it when he brought it home from the store last night. So what to do now? Rinse off with water and just let it go at that? _Nah...after that run, I'm too sticky and gross for that…_ Use the fruit salad soap? _No way...I couldn't stand to smell like that all day._ It seemed there was nothing to do but to go downstairs to the kitchen and get the soap.

No problem. Bones and Angela were out shopping for more baby paraphenalia. _Who knew how much crap it took to raise a kid…_ at first Booth figured he could just race downstairs in the buff, get the soap, and then run back upstairs to jump in the shower again. After all, he was a Ranger! Quick...light on his feet...trained in stealth. This important mission would be easy to accomplish. However, there was the matter of Mrs. Rogers, their next door neighbor. The downstairs windows of the Mighty Hut were visible from her house, and Booth hadn't had time to install all of the blinds yet. Not wanting to risk flashing the neighbors, Booth grabbed his bath towel and wrapping it loosely around his waist, quickly ran downstairs to retrieve his beloved Ivory soap.

There was the grocery bag on the counter. His prize was in sight. He jogged into the kitchen to grab it….

"Well, hello, Studly…" Angela smirked as she got an eyeful of Booth's state of dress, or undress, as it were, deciding that Brennan was definitely a lucky woman if she got that view every day. "Nice kilt there…"

Looking down at the bottom hem of the towel, Booth realized just how short his 'kilt' actually was. He tried lowering the towel on his torso, but it was already dangerously low on his waist. _Maybe she won't notice...I wonder if people can really die from embarrassment..._ "Um, yeah...hi...Angela...why are you here? You and Bones are supposed to be shopping for baby stuff, right?" Booth self consciously held the grocery bag over the part of the towel that was covering his crotch, trying to tuck in the stray end of the towel with his other hand so the towel wouldn't fall to his feet. _Damn! Damn! Damn! Go away, Angela! I just want my soap!_

Arching her eyebrow, Angela took a step toward him. "Brennan forgot something, and then she had to go to the bathroom...you know how it is with pregnant women...that kid sits right on your bladder." Angela was looking Booth over from head to toe and obviously enjoying the view. _If he were my husband I wouldn't let him wear a shirt...ever!_

"Yeah, I suppose so." Booth took a tentative step toward the stairway. "Listen, it's good to see you, but I'm just gonna go finish my shower…"

"Booth!" Brennan's sudden appearance in the kitchen surprised Booth, and he dropped his bag of soap. "Why are you wearing a towel and nothing else?"

"Well...um...you see…" Trying to figure out how to pick up the soap while wearing a short skirt became a dilemma for Booth until Angela took pity on him and handed him the grocery bag. "I was in the shower and I needed my soap because I'd left it on the counter last night, and...you know what? Never mind. I'm just gonna go get cleaned up." _How do women survive in short skirts?_

"Alright. I'll see you later." Brennan grinned in amusement as Booth turned and sprinted up the stairs. She turned to Angela with a contented smile on her face. "As I told you earlier, Booth is a very attractive man…"

"Yeah." Angela nodded in agreement as she glanced up the stairs. "I definitely see what you mean…"

 _Wasn't that fun?_


	3. Chapter 3

There were many reasons that Temperance Brennan loved Saturdays. She normally got to sleep in a bit later than usual, and then she and her family could linger over their breakfast without having the hustle and bustle of getting ready for school or work. Even with the normal weekend duties around the house, Saturday morning was set aside for enjoying family time together, and Brennan looked forward to that time throughout the week.

However, Saturday was also the day that several chores had to be accomplished, and it was normally the day that Brennan did laundry. As she looked around the laundry room, it appeared that somehow the family's clothing had managed to reproduce as quickly as a colony of termites. Even if Booth ran a load or two of washing during the week, it seemed that every Saturday there were always several baskets full of soiled clothing that demanded her attention.

When it came to clothing, Brennan and Booth had totally different philosophies. Brennan, as an anthropologist, viewed clothing as a utilitarian object...almost as a tool. It was something that the members of her society wore for several reasons: warmth and protection, as a badge of status, to encourage sexual interaction, or to enforce Puritanical sexual mores. As she sorted clothes, her mind wandered as she considered why Americans viewed topless males as more acceptable in public than topless females, especially since Americans, on the whole, were better educated than most people in the world. However, she didn't have time to concern herself with these matters. She put a load of clothes in the washer and began the cycle. She knew several women, such as Cam, used clothing to accentuate their beauty and desirable sexual attributes. Brennan, on the other hand, usually chose clothing for comfort and for its appropriate function. Her clothing for the lab was much different than what she would wear to a black tie event, but the different articles served the same purpose...they covered her body in such a way that she would fit into her community. She also had experience with the idea that clothing could serve as a sexual stimulant. Booth was always very interested in her body whenever she wore her 'Roxie' dress, and there was one certain pair of jeans that seemed to practically guarantee that her husband would desire her participation in sexual intercourse whenever she wore them.

Booth, on the other hand, seemed to have an intense emotional attachment to several different articles of clothing, especially his vast collection of tee shirts. Booth had several large boxes full of said tee shirts, some dating back to his college days, and there was usually some sort of funny story to go with each one. As she sorted through the remaining clothes to begin another load, she came across one of his particular favorites. The light gray fabric was worn thin, the ARMY logo was faded, and the hem was torn and frayed. The sleeves had long since been cut away from the shirt, and the shirt appeared to be somewhat too small when stretched across Booth's chest. Booth called it his 'wifebeater' and although Brennan detested that term, she had to admit it was one of her favorites among his collection. He normally wore it with cutoff shorts to do chores in the yard, and Brennan had found it quite pleasurable to watch the large, well defined muscles rippling in Booth's tanned arms as he pushed the lawnmower around the yard, and then, when he pulled his shirt tail up to wipe his face, leaving a whiff of his scent on the shirt while exposing his rock hard abdominal muscles…yes, that was also very enjoyable. Brennan smiled to herself as she considered that picture of her husband in her imagination. In her opinion, watching him work in the yard was quite fascinating, and also very stimulating sexually.

She pulled a dark tee shirt out and put it in the cold water pile. It was navy blue, with a slight vee neck, and it fit Booth as well as a second skin. Giggling softly, she shook her head as she checked the label for the size once again. She had been sure that with Booth's large, well developed arms and broad shoulders, he would wear a size 2XL tee shirt, but Booth insisted on wearing a size XL, even though it seemed almost uncomfortably snug. She suspected that as an alpha male he wore his shirts slightly smaller than he normally should to show off his attractive physique to the world, thus demonstrating to society who should really be in charge, but as an alpha female, she made a point to enjoy the delicious show he put on, glad that the world knew that he belonged to her. She squirmed in her jeans slightly, conscious of the effect that thinking of Booth's body had on her libido. She thought again of him flexing his firm muscles under his shirt...she would definitely require a hands on inspection of how well his muscles flexed later this evening.

Brennan pulled Booth's jeans out of the dryer and began to fold them, thinking about how well they fit her husband. The back pockets sat at just the right spot on his gluteus muscles to call attention to how well shaped they were. The position where the jeans sat on his hips accented the narrowness of his ilia compared to his acromia. The rise in front was slightly below his navel, exposing some of the fine hair that ran downward toward his pubic extension. The way the pants legs fit over his thighs was exceptional...Brennan sighed as she folded another pair of jeans. She was finding it difficult to concentrate on her chore as she found herself thinking of Booth and how well he wore his casual clothes….she kept picturing him in a dark tee shirt and his best beat up pair of blue jeans, and noticed that her breathing patterns had changed...she was experiencing a rush of adrenaline as she thought about how sexy Booth was…

"Hiya, Bones...what's going on?" Booth peeked into the laundry room, watching his wife fold clothes. "Hank was really fussy when we got back from the hardware store, so I put him down for a nap, and Christine went to see a movie with Jennifer…" He was pleasantly interrupted when his wife kissed him and took his hand to pull him into the laundry room.

"Do you remember when I got home after being gone with Christine for that extended period of time? And you set me on top of the washer as it was running so we could have washer sex…" Brennan grinned slyly as she tugged at the hem of her husband's shirt.

"Yeah...we were interrupted by a phone call...but now…" He reached into his pocket and, pulling out his phone, turned it off and reached up to pull off his shirt. "Now there's nothing to interrupt us…" Booth began kissing her neck as he unbuttoned her blouse.

She laughed as he nibbled at her ear. "I don't know why people don't like to do laundry. If I have the right kind of help, I find laundry to be most enjoyable."


	4. Chapter 4

_Something a bit different..._

Agent Sophia DiGiacomo stood at the firing line on the FBI gun range, extremely frustrated as she hit the button that brought the target paper toward her. "It looks like I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!" Being a Bronx kid, she wasn't really sure she knew exactly what that meant, but she knew that it wasn't a good thing when trying to hit a target with a gun. "Dammit! I'm not sure why I have to do this anyway!" Having been heavily recruited by FBI after she had recently graduated at the top in her class with a degree in information technology, she'd decided to use her considerable talent with computer systems to work for the FBI cyber crimes division instead of hiring on at some major business organization. Keeping people safe from internet trolls and Nigerian princes was near and dear to her heart, but…."I'm a computer geek. Why do I need to learn to shoot a gun? It's not like a bullet can travel through the 'net…" She'd been very successful in every class she'd taken at Quantico, except learning how to shoot a handgun. It seemed that the hand-eye coordination required to type on a computer was totally different than the skill required to use a pistol. Sighing heavily, Sophia got ready to try again. "Practice is supposed to make perfect...and right now I'm perfectly awful…"

She put her earplugs in and shot another set of rounds at the silhouette outlined on the paper. After checking her work again, she cringed. "Maybe I can hack into a bad guy's email instead of shooting him...that damage might last longer anyway…"

"You're trying too hard. Just relax." Turning toward the male voice behind her, Sophia saw a good looking man in his forties grinning at her. Based on his snug black FBI tee shirt and faded jeans, he'd been there to practice as well. "You're gripping that pistol like you're trying to strangle it. Let me show you. Here...hold it like this…" He stood next to her and, placing his large hand over hers, moved her hand over the grip. "Now...look at the target and point the gun like you're pointing your finger and squeeze gently. Concentrate…" Sophia was trying to listen to the man's calm voice as he gave her instructions, but she was distracted by a different kind of gun than she was holding in her hands. Even though the man was considerably older than she was, she couldn't help but notice how well developed his upper body was, especially since the tight sleeves of his tee shirt accentuated his large biceps and triceps. She took a deep breath and tried once again to listen closely to his suggestions. "Okay...now you try it." She tentatively pointed her gun at the paper target and fired. "See? Much better. I think you just need some confidence. You've got the basic mechanics down. It's not that hard. Point and shoot, right? You just gotta believe you can do it, alright?" Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out a business card. "I'm Special Agent Booth. I'd be glad to help you with your shooting technique if you'd like. My wife and I shoot here a lot, so maybe we could work out a time where I could coach you some." Walking over to where he'd laid his belongings, Agent Booth picked up his dark leather jacket and quickly slipped it on. "I think you'll do great. You just need to stop doubting yourself, okay?" Smiling, he nodded his goodbye and strolled away from Sophia just as her friend Adriana walked over to joined her on the firing line.

"Oh my God…" Adriana openly stared at the man as he left, appreciating his fine physique. "That guy is ripped, isn't he? Jesus...I'd love to feel those arms around me…and look at that cute butt..."

Sophia rolled her eyes in disgust. "Seriously? He's old enough to be your father, Addie...and he's a married man…."

Adriana thought about her own father...short, balding, a bit paunchy and covered with flour as he worked in the back of his bakery. "Trust me...he doesn't look _anything_ like my father. Besides, it's not like I want to get it on with the guy or anything like that...I was just admiring a fine looking man. What's wrong with that? And believe me...he is a fine looking man…"

"Okay, whatever." Sophia grimaced slightly at her friend's comments, not wanting to admit that she'd been thinking exactly the same thing. "Look, I gotta practice. I've gotta pass the Hogan's alley test in three weeks, okay? Agent Booth was giving me some advice about the grip on my gun..."

"While you were thinking about gripping his guns, right?" Adriana smirked at her friend. "No way to miss them...do you even remember what he said?"

Laughing at herself, Sophia shook her head. "I'm not really sure…."

Oooooooooo

Sophia had used the three weeks leading up to her handgun certification test to practice religiously, and she was finally beginning to feel confident. She had decided against calling Agent Booth for any coaching, but she'd learned to hold the gun as he'd suggested and had seen a lot of improvement. Today was the day when she was going to find out if all the practice would pay off. She walked into the training area in order to begin her test. She knew the range master would be the person in the close fitted red Kevlar vest...

"Agent DiGiacomo, sir...I'm here for my certification test."

"Excellent. Are you ready?" The range master turned to face her and smiled slightly before he got down to business. "I see...well, let's hope you remembered what I told you about how to hold a gun so you can shoot accurately."

"Agent Booth…" Sophia couldn't help but notice how good that red range master vest looked over the tight black FBI tee shirt. _God...I hope I can concentrate...that vest looks so good on him…it's snug, isn't it...his chest is so broad...I'm not sure I can breathe…wow...Addie was right...what a gun show...Mother of God...what am I saying...he's old enough to be my father...Jesus...gotta concentrate..._

Swallowing nervously, Sophia realized she should say something in response to his comment. "I've been practicing…" _Look at how those black pants fit him across that butt and those thighs..._ "I think I've gotten a lot better…"

"A lot better?" He shook his head at her as he checked his clipboard. "I hope that's good enough, Agent DiGiacomo. Take the starting position…ready? GO!"

It seemed to Sophia that it was the longest five minutes of her life, but she completed the Hogan's Alley test at last. She waited nervously, not sure she really wanted her results, holding her breath as Agent Booth tallied her score.

"Congratulations, Agent DiGiacomo. You've passed. Good job. You'll receive confirmation via email…"

Sophia tried to remain professional, but she found herself grinning from ear to ear, relieved that she had been successful. "Thanks, Agent Booth."

Oooooooooo

"Did you enjoy taking a turn as the range master today, Booth?" Brennan snuggled next to her husband as they sat in front of the fire.

He nodded as he took a sip of his Scotch. "Yeah, it was kind of fun. You know what? I'd helped a younger agent at the shooting range a couple of weeks ago, and she came in to take her certification test today. She passed with a really good score, and it made me feel like I'd accomplished something myself as well. I think maybe I'd like being a teacher…I think I'd be good at it..."

"Of course you'd be good at it. You'd be an excellent teacher, Booth. You have a lot of practical skills and experience, and you're quite good at explaining things." Brennan patted his knee affectionately. "I know you've taught me a lot of things…"

"Maybe when I'm tired of being a field agent, I can teach at Quantico. Who knows? Maybe I can help agents with their marksmanship." He smirked as he put his glass down on the table next to the sofa. "Okay, enough about work. I want you to close your eyes. I've got a surprise for you…"

"Booth...you know I don't like surprises…", Brennan whined as she closed her eyes. She pretended to pout a little bit, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hurry up and show me…"

"Okay, you can look know…" Booth stood in front of his wife wearing his tight black tee shirt, the red range master's vest and his boxers. "I borrowed this from work." Twitching his eyebrows at her, he gave her a charm smile as he put his thumbs in the armholes and strutted a bit. "I know how much you like it…"

"Hmm…" Brennan grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit next to her on the couch. "I definitely like that vest. It fits you so well…" She smiled as ran her hands across the vest and up over his shoulders and arms. "Do you think you can bring your weapon to bear? Maybe you need to practice hitting my target spots…"

"Absolutely, Bones." Booth smiled broadly as he reached up to turn off the lamp. "Practice makes perfect...and I aim to please…"


	5. Chapter 5

Temperance Brennan prided herself on being a logical, rational woman. She was not a person easily swayed by the vagaries of emotion. Well educated, well read, and well respected as an anthropologist, she was quite familiar with the mating rituals of various cultures throughout the world, including her own. She realized that most mating rituals were designed to advertise the beauty and availability of the participants so that others could evaluate whether or not they were interested in pursuing a sexual relationship. Yes...she understood all of that quite clearly. Nodding to herself as she sat in the stands watching her husband warm up for his hockey game, she thought about the wealth of knowledge she had at her fingertips about mating rituals, but not one fact in her mental encyclopedia could explain the phenomenon she'd just experienced as Booth skated by.

Seeing her husband in his hockey uniform made her feel weak in the knees. She noticed a fluttering in her stomach. Her heart rate accelerated. Her mouth became dry, forcing her to lick her lips. She noticed an increase in her production of pheromonic perspiration. Her body began to produce copious quantities of vaginal lubricant...all because of the magnificent way Booth filled out his club team's hockey uniform.

"Ridiculous!", she thought to herself. "I've seen Booth in that uniform many times. There's no reason to find him more attractive now than I have previously. Of course...I've previously found him to be very attractive in a hockey jersey…but I fail to understand why my body reacts like this to one particular item of clothing as opposed to another clothing item."

It wasn't the color, although Booth did look good in blue...and Brennan knew that a lot of the seeming bulk of the jersey was in fact padding designed to protect the wearer from injury. However, Booth, being a very well muscled man, was only slightly enhanced by the padding. A lot of the pleasant, masculine bulk under the jersey was actually Booth, and for that, Brennan was very grateful. She shifted in her seat as she watched him skate by again. Perhaps it was because of the extra height afforded by the skates. Booth was tall anyway, but the skates added at least an extra two inches, so now he stood approximately 6'4"...enough difference in height that he seemed to tower over her. Sighing to herself, Brennan realized that she'd actually liked feeling smaller and more feminine when she stood next to her burly husband while he was wearing his uniform and skates. "I can't believe I've fallen into that outmoded thought pattern...wanting to be a delicate flower... ", Brennan said to herself in disgust, although she had to admit that the extra two inches did look good on Booth. It could be the slender fit of the pants with the thigh pads or the way the socks accentuated his muscular calves….

Maybe it was because when Booth played hockey, he was more able to channel his aggression so it became a useful tool. As an alpha male, he would naturally be somewhat more aggressive than perhaps a more average man, but that tendency toward aggression often had to be suppressed in his daily routines. On the ice during a game, however, it was a different story. He could slash and check with the best of them, and as his team's enforcer, he took a wicked delight in protecting his teammates by running into the opposing team's players, driving them into the walls or onto the ice. "So maybe it isn't the uniform...maybe it's because of the way Booth acts when he plays hockey!" Given what she knew about the mating instincts of humans, that made much more sense than thinking that her reactions to him were because of an article of clothing. "Human females normally prefer males that are confident and aggressive. That does describe Booth to some extent, as he often advertises with his 'Cocky' belt buckle." Satisfied that she had a logical explanation for her reaction to watching her husband play hockey, Brennan sat back to enjoy the game, planning to do further research later in the evening. As an empiricist, it was important to gather as much data as she could before coming to a conclusion about the phenomenon.

Oooooooooo

Brennan sat propped up on her bed pillows as her husband dried himself after his shower. "Booth? I need your help with something." She demurely flipped through the pages of her journal as he stood in the bathroom doorway, waiting for an explanation.

"Okaaaay...should I be worried? Normally you get an intern to help you with research…" Booth rubbed his hair with his towel, watching as his wife pretended to read her magazine.

"I think this is something better suited for you. Here…". Brennan held out last year's hockey jersey. "I want you to put this on..." She patted the empty spot next to her on the bed. "And then I want you to make love to me. Afterwards, I want you to take off the jersey, and repeat the process."

Grinning broadly, Booth grabbed the shirt from his wife before she could change her mind. "I think I can handle that...and I don't mind helping you, but could you tell me what you're researching?" He slipped the jersey over his head and jumped into bed, embracing his wife.

"I want to find out what it is about this jersey that I find so attractive…hmm…" She was interrupted by a kiss from her husband. "I always enjoy watching you when you wear it…"

Booth lay back in the bed and laughed out loud. "Really? Could it be that you just like watching me skate? Maybe the jersey has nothing to do with it."

Brennan batted her eyelashes at Booth and gave him a sly grin. "But we'll never know unless we do research. You could be right. Perhaps it's not the jersey. Perhaps I do just enjoy watching you play hockey. We can do more research on that, too. But right now…" Laughing, she grabbed a fistful of the jersey and tried to pull him closer. "One step at a time. We've got data to compile. We need to get busy! I want to come..." She sighed as he caressed her gently. "...to a valid conclusion…"

Wearing his best charm smile, Booth twitched his eyebrows at her. "I think we'll be able to fit in a lot of research...we'll probably have to do multiple trials. Isn't that what a scientist does?"

Brennan nodded as she snuggled up against Booth and ran her hand across the jersey that was stretched across his chest. "Exactly…"


	6. Chapter 6

_From Season 5, circa the Dwarf in the Dirt._

Seeley Booth lay in his bed early one Saturday morning, staring at the ceiling, trying once again to get his bearings. It had been two weeks since he'd been cleared to go back to work after his brain surgery, and he was still having some trouble adjusting. Often, when he woke up in the morning, he had to make himself remember that it was actually normal _not_ to have Bones sleeping next to him. That goddamn coma dream had been so real...he could remember everything, right down to the smell of her perfume and the sound of her giggle when he kissed her.

But it wasn't real...none of it. He thought once again about what that nosy kid Sweets had asked him when he was trying to be reinstated to go back to work.

 _Do you miss anything from the alternative life you experienced while being in a coma?_

Booth sighed sadly as he thought of the real answer to that question. He missed being married to Bones, missed her being completely in love with him….he missed the child they weren't going to have...all of those things had been racing around his mind, but he knew that Sweets would pounce like a crazed tomcat if any one of those things came out of his mouth. So, on the spur of the moment, he came up with a safe answer...one that Sweets would accept easily without any more poking and prodding.

 _The clothes. I miss the clothes. Those were great clothes._

He got out of bed and walked over to his closet, halfway hoping to see that fancy royal blue three piece suit with the satin lining in his closet. That was another thing about the coma dream...it had been so detailed. He could remember exactly what the suit looked like, and how great he felt when he wore it to the nightclub in his dream. It had been etched in his memory permanently, it seemed. Nope, no royal blue suit...no flowered silk tie...just boring, FBI sanctioned black, navy, and gray. Then he had a crazy thought. Maybe he could have the best of both worlds. He got dressed quickly, had a bite of breakfast, and set out on his quest.

Booth had worked to keep himself in great physical shape throughout his FBI career, which was great for attracting the ladies, but it meant his suits had to be specially tailored for him, and that was expensive. He shrugged it off as he walked down the block. It'd been a year or two since he'd had a brand new suit made, and this one was going to be special. He paused as he stopped outside the door of Saul's Tailor Shop. If anyone could make what Booth had in mind, it would be his buddy Saul.

The chime on the door rang loudly as he entered the small dusty shop. "Just a minute", called the feminine voice from the backroom. A few seconds later, a young Vietnamese woman came to the front counter. "May I help you, sir?"

"Um...yeah...I guess...where's Saul?" Booth looked toward the backroom with concern. "He's alright, isn't he? I mean, I know he's getting up there in years, and I haven't been in to see him for a while…"

"Saul's fine. He's just semi-retired now. He only works in the shop 3 days a week. However, let me assure you, sir, that he has trained me well...and if you've been a regular customer, he will be doing the tailoring work on your clothing himself."

"I see. Well, Miss…" Booth stammered, trying to remember her name.

"My name is Vo. You're Mr. Booth, correct?" She smiled as he nodded. "Let me look at your card…" She searched through an old rolodex, trying to find the index card with all of his vital statistics on it.

"Actually, I may need to have some new measurements taken...not the inseam..." Booth blushed at the idea of this young woman taking _that_ measurement. "I've lost a bit of weight, so definitely the waist. Look, what I want is a gray three piece suit...you know, with a vest? And a second pair of pants to go with it. I need to have it tailored to FBI specs...Saul knows all about that." Booth tapped his foot nervously as Vo wrote down his order. "Look...maybe you could call Saul for me? Maybe I could talk to him on the phone?"

Vo smiled politely. She knew it was going to be hard for Saul's regular customers to get used to her taking over the shop, and it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for people to leave when they found out that Saul wasn't in the shop that day. At least this man was staying…"Of course, Mr. Booth. One moment…."

She dialed the number and handed Booth the phone. "Saul...hey, it's me, Booth. Yeah, finally back at work. Well, I'm doing better. Listen, I decided to get a new suit made. Well, it's gotta be FBI regs, but I want it to be something a little flashier, you know? I want a vest, too. Yeah, you know what I mean, right? Great. Okay, Vo's gonna get my measurements...well, I've lost some weight. Two weeks? No, that's great. I didn't expect it so soon. Yeah, thanks. See you then."

Booth handed the phone back to Vo and gave her a small charm smile. "Okay, about my measurements…."

Ooooooooooo

Booth left work early to go by the tailor shop, excited to pick up his new suit. The bell rang merrily to announce his presence, and a gruff voice responded from the backroom. "Hold your horses...be right out…Booth! How the hell are you?" Saul came around the counter and shook Booth's hand. "You're still a little skinny, I see. I wondered about the measurements Vo gave me, but she's good...she knows what she's doing. She's gonna take over my shop when I retire in a year or two."

Grinning, Booth gently slapped the older man on the back. "Well, I guess I better get my suits made while I can. So the gray one's ready, huh?"

"Yeah, and wait 'til you see what I did with the lining." Saul went to the back of the shop and brought out a dove gray suit. "I had this new bolt of gray cloth, and I thought of you, Booth. This is a good color for you, and it's nice fabric. Since you ordered a vest, I went a little old school with the lapels, but not too wide, and I nipped it in at the waist a bit, but we can let it out later when you gain your weight back. I cut it a tiny bit wider in the shoulder for your shoulder holster, too." The older man gave Booth a wink. "Now, let's look at the lining.…" Taking the jacket off the hanger, he proudly showed Booth the interior of the gray suit jacket. "How's that for flashy? Goes good with the gray, doesn't it?"

"That's definitely what I had in mind." The jacket lining and back of the vest were made of a beautiful lavender satin. "Oh yeah...just like in my...in my mind's eye. I knew I could count on you, Saul. This is great." Booth tried on the vest and looked over his shoulder at the reflection of his back in the mirror. Not bad...Booth chuckled to himself. The snug fit of the vest across his back showed off his ass a little bit, too. "Saul, my man, you've outdone yourself." Booth turned and continued to admire himself in his vest, putting the jacket over it to get the full effect. "This is one great looking suit. Thanks, Saul. Hey, tell Vo I said thanks, too. It fits perfectly..."

"Anytime, Booth." Saul beamed as he waved goodbye to Booth. A handsome man in a well tailored suit was the best advertisement his shop could ever have.

Oooooooooo

Gordon-Gordon and Sweets had just finished interviewing the witness and, much to Brennan's surprise, they were completely beside themselves with happiness, thinking they had broken the case wide open. Brennan tried to understand why they felt this way, and they had tried to explain it to her, but she was somewhat distracted by Booth's new suit.

The dove gray was a perfect color for him, especially with the contrast it afforded to the crisp white shirt he wore. But it was more than just the color. This suit seemed to come with a swagger attached to it. Brennan watched as Booth draped his jacket over his shoulder and sauntered away, flaunting the lavender satin of his vest, and announcing that he'd take care of handling the information Sweets and Gordon-Gordon had given him, calling them boys to boot.

Intrigued by Booth's new attitude, Brennan decided to ask about it as they enjoyed coffee later that day at the diner. "I like your new suit, Booth. It fits you very well, but I don't think I've ever seen you wear a vest…it seems to make you very happy..."

Booth started to correct her. Of course she had seen him in a vest...the royal blue suit had one...and then once again he had to remind himself that she had not actually experienced his coma dream with him. "I just thought it'd be fun to try something different. You know, I'm trying to show my individuality in an homogenizing paramilitary organization." He winked at her, enjoying her giggle as she remembered when she had discussed that with him a few years ago.

"Well, it looks very nice. I'm glad it makes you happy, too." She wrinkled her nose a bit as she hesitated for a second, thinking about what she wanted to say. "It makes you look like one of those Mouseketeers…."

"What?" Booth almost spit his coffee all over the table. "A Mouseketeer? What are you talking about, Bones? Is it the lining? Do I look like a Disney character?"

"No...no. I meant those cool guys from the sixties...you know...Dean Martin...Frank Sinatra...Sammy Davis, Jr? Those guys. I thought you said they were a group of mice…"

"Rat pack...they were called the rat pack. And they were very cool guys…" Shaking his head as he grinned at his partner, Booth once again wished his dream was real...that this adorable woman would love him as much as he loved her.

"Why are rats cool, Booth? They're nasty vermin...I mean they have their place in an ecosystem, but still…"

"They just were cool guys...never mind. Look at the time. We'd better get going." He stood up and stretched, flashing a bit of lavender satin at Brennan. She smiled to herself. Booth's coma dream had been difficult for them to deal with, but she decided it was worth the trouble if it resulted in him wearing suits that fit him so well. She wondered what had made him choose this particular style of suit, but Booth was unpredictable...

"So, Booth...you never did tell me…", Brennan began, as they stepped out onto the street corner. "Do you miss anything from your coma dream?"

Startled, Booth turned to see the innocent look in Brennan's beautiful blue eyes. He wanted to pour out his heart...to tell her everything he'd missed...but now was not the time.

"The clothes, Bones. I miss the clothes."


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter isn't exactly about something that Booth is wearing, but it still seems to fit the category of things we'd like to see on the program. Written for my fanfic friend faithinbones. I hope she enjoys it._

Booth yawned as he finished his crossword puzzle. It had been a rough day at the office. Tackling escaping felons was not exactly the best thing for a forty something agent to do, especially when that agent was saddled with a gimpy back and two cranky feet. "Bones, I'm beat, and I'm really sore. I'm gonna go soak in the tub for a few minutes." He groaned as he got out of his chair. "God, I feel old tonight." He made a show of stretching and then he yawned loudly again. "I think I'm gonna break out the beer hat tonight." He winked at his wife as he sauntered toward the refrigerator for some beer. "Care to join me?"

Brennan rolled her eyes at the thought of that silly hat. Shaking her head, she turned back to her laptop. "I'm need to finish working on this chapter, and then I'm going to bed. I think I'll pass on the beer hat tonight."

Somewhat disappointed, Booth shrugged. "Okay...your loss." He walked into the bathroom and started to run hot water into the tub, and then, with a flourish, he turned on the jets and let out a happy sigh. "Aaah...a nice hot bath with jets. I've been looking forward to this all afternoon." After making sure the beer cans were situated correctly in the holders on his hat, he set it on the floor next to the tub. Satisfied that the tub was filled to the correct level, Booth stripped down completely and got ready for a pleasant evening soak.

Laughing to himself, he found the pillow that his wife used when she took her bubble baths. He put it at the end of the tub, and slowly sank into the hot water, stretching his tall frame to get the full effect of the jets. The back brush was ready...there was the latest copy of the Green Lantern graphic novel…the beer hat was in place and delivering a nice cold beverage. "What more could a man want?" He leaned back against the pillow, totally relaxed as he sipped his beer and enjoyed a good story while the jets slowly carried his aches and pains away...and soon Booth was snoring softly as he napped in the bathtub.

Meanwhile, Brennan found she was having trouble concentrating on her work. She was getting sleepy, and seeing that it was after ten, she decided to retire for the evening. She was on the way to her bedroom when she remembered the folded bath towels sitting on the dryer. She retrieved the towels and, after knocking on the closed door, she walked into the bathroom to put the towels away.

The sight before her could only be described as amazing. Her husband's nude frame was stretched the full length of the bathtub. Brennan watched in fascination as the bubbles from the jets danced across the firm muscles of Booth's chest and abdomen, sparkling and bursting as they rose to the surface in rhythm with his breathing. The water swirled and eddied around his muscular hips and legs...his toes wiggled as he moved slightly...he was dreaming about something. Smiling to herself, Brennan once again realized how pleasant Booth's physique was, and that she was fortunate to be able to enjoy his body like this...completely devoid of clothing, and with nothing blocking her view.

She couldn't help but remember the late night visit she'd made to Booth's apartment so many years ago. Angry because he hadn't told her his death was faked, she'd barged into his bathroom to yell at him about it. After being provoked, he'd risen out of the old fashioned clawfoot bathtub to argue with her. Suddenly he seemed so much taller than normal as he stood over her, water flowing down in rivulets over his well toned and well tanned body. No matter how hard she'd tried to focus on his face, Brennan couldn't miss the rest of him, since it was practically at eye level...and that memory still left Brennan a little breathless. Sully had been extremely well endowed, but Booth...Booth was not only well endowed, but he was also quite pleasantly proportioned. Every single part of him was incredibly perfect. Brennan grinned to herself as she remembered how hard it had been to look back at Booth's face, given the glorious vision presented to her from his neck down. Finally, she had remembered her manners. _Would you like a towel?_ The look on Booth's face had been priceless as he realized that he was, for lack of a better word, exposed. He pretended not to care, having very little Puritan modesty, but Brennan could tell he was proud of his masculinity. He'd definitely told her enough stories about how he'd shared that masculinity with several females in the past… _typical alpha male, reveling in his virility...flaunting his penis...and with good reason, it seems..._

But that didn't matter now. Booth was _her_ husband...every square inch of him, from head to toe, and all the areas in between, belonged to her. All of those well proportioned, well endowed masculine structures were for her personal use alone. She wouldn't be sharing him with anyone. Perhaps it was time to lay claim on him again…

Laying the towels on the counter, Brennan began to undress quietly. Carefully, so as not to wake her husband, she stepped into the bathtub. "Booth? Are you awake?"

"Hmm...what? Oh...hey, Bones! You changed your mind about the beer hat, huh?" Booth flashed a grin at his nude wife as he sat up to make room for her in the tub.

"No, not the beer hat...but I changed my mind about spending time with you." She sat down in the water opposite of her husband. Playfully running her hands through the water, she tilted her head at her husband. "Do you know why I chose to buy this house, Booth?"

"Well, I guess because you liked it...I mean, it's a nice house…" Booth shrugged as he took a sip from his hat.

"Actually, it was a difficult choice. I wasn't convinced this house had the best layout or location, but when I walked into this bathroom and saw this double sized tub with the jets, I knew this was our house. I could imagine us just like this…" She moved to where she was laying next to him in the tub. "With my arms around you, or perhaps making love in the bubbles as the jets moved the water around us…"

"Hmm...like this?" Booth slowly began massaging Brennan's arms and shoulders, gradually working down to her waist and hips. "Well, I think you made an excellent choice, Bones. This is definitely a great house, and this bathtub..." He kissed her gently as he pulled himself on top of her. "...it's just the icing on the cake."

"Booth?" Brennan sighed softly, as her husband began kissing her neck and throat.

"Hmm? What is it, Bones…I'm kinda busy here." He nibbled her ear gently as he massaged her breasts.

Brennan giggled as she looked up at Booth's head. "Lose the beer hat, please…"

The hat went flying across the bathroom. "Now...where were we?"


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: maybe it's because I live in cowboy country, but I think Booth in his cowboy hat and suede jacket is really, really hot..._

"Hiya, Bones." Booth walked into the kitchen where his wife was working and gave her a peck on the cheek. "How's it goin'?" Noticing the aroma of fresh chocolate chip cookies, he began to search for the source of the pleasant odor, hoping to snag a treat.

"Fine. I'm just putting the finishing touches on these cookies for Christine's dance recital." Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, Brennan swatted her husband's hand away from the plate. "You can have some cookies later, Booth. We need to leave in about 45 minutes. Don't you want to change clothes?"

"Yeah, I guess so. This suit is gonna need to go to the cleaners tomorrow anyway. I spilled coffee on it. Are jeans gonna be good enough for tonight's festivities?" Seeing his wife's nod as she packaged the cookies, he continued. "Okay, I'll be ready to go soon. Is Christine dressed yet?" Booth reached down to pick up Hank. "I think her costume is gonna look great…"

"Christine changed into her dance attire as soon as she got home from school. She's quite excited about the 'western' routine. She loves clomping around in her boots, although it seems that they would be hard to dance in…"

"Well, it depends on what kind of dance they're doing, doesn't it, Hank?" Booth bounced Hank a bit, making the baby laugh loudly. "They won't be doing ballet in those boots, but they can do a square dance." Smiling at Hank, Booth handed the baby over to Brennan. "Here's the Tiger. I'm gonna go change…"

He took his suit jacket off on the way to his bedroom and put it on the back of the chair by his dresser. Next came the pants. He made sure he got everything out of the pockets and lay the pants over the seat of the chair so he'd remember to take the suit to the cleaners. Opening the closet door, he moved to the back of his closet and unlocked his gun safe. He'd had it installed as soon as he could after he came home from prison, complete with a combination lock, so he could have easy access to his guns if he needed them, but so they were safely out of reach of his children. Booth shrugged off his shoulder holster and took the gun out of its slot, checking to make sure the safety was on, before placing the items in the safe. As he was doing so, his hand brushed another one of the pistols in the safe. _Oh yeah...I love this baby._ It was the gun and accompanying gun belt he'd used when he'd recently had to pretend to be a cowboy during an undercover assignment. He caressed the blue steel barrel and admired the pearl inlay on the handle. _God...this gun feels so good in my hand. It's perfectly balanced._ He glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was alone before removing the gun belt from the safe and strapping in on over his dress shirt and boxers. The gun rode low on his left hip in the perfect location for a quick draw. Grinning to himself, he turned to face his reflection in the full length mirror attached to his closet wall next to the gun safe. _Ready...draw…_ Booth paused for a minute as he watched himself wield the pistol. _Something's missing...oh, yeah. I got it._ He forgot about the time and the need to change clothes as he looked for the hat box he wanted on one of the upper closet shelves.

 _There it is..._ He opened the deep hat box and pulled out Buck's cowboy hat. White felt with a wide brim topped by a black band, it showed off Booth's tan to perfection. He smiled to himself, knowing how much his wife loved the way he looked in that hat. He put it on, adjusting it slightly as he turned to face himself in the mirror once again. Running his finger over the front of the brim, he raised an eyebrow and pulled a flirty smirk as he spoke to his reflection. "Howdy, ma'am. Nice day here in Tombstone, isn't it? Can I buy you a sarsaparilla?" He swaggered a bit toward the mirror as he pulled down the hat a bit. "Smile when you say that, stranger." He pulled the gun from the belt and tried to twirl it, almost dropping it to the closet floor. _Jesus...I guess I'm out of practice. Good thing it's not loaded._ Checking out his reflection again, he grimaced slightly. He still needed something to finish off the look. He pulled on some dark jeans and a more casual denim shirt before looking through his closet again. _Oh, there it is._

The dark brown suede jacket had fit him perfectly. The Bureau had given him an allowance for his undercover clothing before the cowboy escapade, but Booth had splurged a bit on the jacket. Instead of a heavy canvas or denim barn jacket, he'd opted for sueded leather, partly because he figured it would last longer, and partly because his wife loved running her hands over the material, especially while he was wearing it.

Checking his reflection in the mirror, Booth gave his reflection a pleased smile. Special Agent Seeley Booth had once again transformed himself into Buck Moosejaw, badass cowboy and the fastest draw east of the Mississippi. _Just the thing to wear to Christine's recital...I'll fit right in with the theme for the evening._ He stuck his thumbs in the front of his gun belt and, standing straight, squared his shoulders and glared at the imaginary bad guy on the dusty street of his imagination. He pretended to scowl as he drew his pistol. "Get them hands in the air, you dirty varmint. Sheriff Buck Moosejaw's here to take you to the hoosegow." Chuckling, Booth took a stance like he was ready to draw. "Okay...time for the showdown between Buck Moosejaw and Jesse James. We walk ten paces, count to three and then we draw. Ready? One...two...three... _Blam blam blam_!" Booth blew the imaginary smoke away from the barrel of six shooter and put it back in the holster. "Dodge City is safe again from the likes of him…" Humming the theme from Gunsmoke, Booth swaggered toward his reflection and gave it a wink. "Marshall Dillon at your service, Miss Kitty…"

"Booth? Are you alright?" Brennan stood in the doorway of her husband's closet as she fastened her earring. "Who are you talking to...and what are you wearing?" Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she saw her husband dressed in his cowboy regalia. "Please tell me you're not wearing that to the recital…"

Looking down at his clothes, Booth shrugged. "There's a lot of places in this country where these duds are considered dress clothes, Bones. I think this outfit looks great, especially since Christine is going to do a Western themed dance.''

"I'm not worried about the clothes, or even the hat, but I don't think you should wear the gun belt, do you?" Brennan tilted her head, hands on her hips. "Are you ready to go yet?"

"Yeah, I guess. Just let me find my boots." Booth took the gun belt off and laid it in the safe, closing the door and spinning the dial. He sighed as he pulled on his Tony Lamas. "I really liked being a cowboy for the weekend, you know? It was great, shooting and riding and all that…it was a lot of fun. I think I might've liked being a real cowboy."

Brennan grinned demurely as they walked out of their bedroom. "Perhaps later this evening, after the children are asleep, you can wear your gun belt low on your hips for me, and after we indulge in some riding, you can fire your gun. If I remember correctly, you especially enjoy it when Wanda rides you like a cowgirl, correct? Would that kind of riding make up for the lack of time you spend being a real cowboy, Booth?"

He pulled her close and gave her a steamy kiss. "Well, Bones", he said in a sultry tone, "as they say in the cowboy movies: Saddle up. Let's ride!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Dammit! This isn't rocket science.", Booth growled, frustrated as he walked into his closet early one Tuesday morning. "I oughta just be able to get ready and go...hmph. No, this one isn't right either, is it? Okay...let me try the gray plaid one…"

Brennan walked into their bedroom, carrying an armload of sheets and towels. She stopped short when she saw the colorful array of neckties on the bed spread out next to his charcoal gray suit. "Booth! What are you doing?"

Her husband came to stand in the doorway of his closet, wearing one of his crisp white dress shirts, purple and green striped socks, and his boxers. "I'm trying to decide which tie to wear to work, of course", he groused. "What does it look like I'm doing? Can't talk...I'm in a hurry…" He turned and went back into his closet.

Brennan rolled her eyes at her grumpy husband. "It looks like you're having a menswear sale. Why are you worried about picking out a tie? You have literally hundreds to choose from...your suit and white shirt are neutrally colored, so it seems that any tie you choose will match well. I think you're making an Alp out of an anthill…"

Booth grumbled as he stomped out of his closet. "You mean a mountain out of a molehill, Bones. I'm in a hurry, okay?…" He came over to the bed and sorted through his ties again as his wife watched in quiet amusement. "It has to be just right…"

"I'm sorry, Booth, but I'm not sure I understand why a necktie is more important today than it would be on any other day." She watched as he grabbed some ties from the bed and held them up to his shirt as he looked in the mirror over his dresser. "Would you like me to pick one out?"

"Nah...look, here's the deal, okay?" Slightly exasperated, Booth turned to Brennan, gesturing with his hands full of neckties. "I have to get a new picture taken for my ID, and then Bureau's gonna hang a big copy of it in the office with my title underneath of it, so I'll look like some sort of big shot, I guess." Booth made air quotes as he grimaced slightly. "Seeley J. Booth, Special Agent in Charge of Major Crimes. So it's gotta look good, you know? I don't want visitors to come in, look at my picture, and be distracted by a goofy tie, you know? My picture's gotta say that I know what I'm doing...that I'm not a clown to be taken lightly...that I deserve to be in charge, so I need the perfect tie. What do you think of this black one?" Booth swallowed nervously as he held the tie up to his shirt collar. "It's too boring, right? And the black might look funny next to that dark gray…"

Smiling at her husband, Brennan shook her head and giggled at his nervousness. "Why don't you let me help you decide, Booth? If you want to make the right impression on people, color can be very useful. The color of the tie a man wears says a lot about his personality…"

Turning back to the bed, Booth picked out a gray and blue striped tie. "I thought you didn't go for all that psychology crap…all that color and personality mumbo-jumbo..."

Brennan shrugged as she looked through the colorful ties on the bed. "I don't, normally, but after that jury consultant told me to wear blue when we were testifying about the young woman whose remains were found in the refrigerator, I read several articles about how color can affect a person's perception of a situation. There are numerous independent studies to back up the idea that people respond differently to different colors. That's why I chose a gray tie for Max to wear when he was on trial for killing Director Kirby. Gray is supposed to indicate that a person has a serious nature."

Booth looked at Brennan's reflection in his dresser mirror as he tied the gray striped tie. "So if I wear gray like Max, does that mean I'm slightly shady?" He grinned at her. "Max doesn't wear a tie very often, anyway…"

Selecting some ties to help Booth in his choice, Brennan nodded as she walked over to him. "That's true. He may not be a good example in this case, but from what I've read…" She handed him a tie. "...men with power and a position of authority should wear red ties. Red is supposed to say you're not afraid to take risks. It supposedly sends a signal to other males that you're the one in charge. Why don't you try this tie with the wide gray and red stripes? Or maybe this red one with the gray figure?"

Booth walked back to the bed and picked out another tie. "I like this red and gray foulard tie a lot. Do you think it's too flashy?" He untied the gray and blue tie and draped the red one around his neck and looked into his mirror again before turning back to Brennan. "What do you think? A man of power, right?"

"Oh, definitely a man of power...", Brennan purred. She moved closer to her husband as he tied his tie, reaching up to adjust the Windsor knot at his collar and then ran her hands down the front of his shirt to smooth the tie. "I read something else interesting about ties, Booth. Some people think that neckties like this are actually a sort of phallic symbol…" She ran her finger along the pointed tip of his tie. "They are sort of shaped like penises, after all…"

"WHAT? What are you talking about, Bones?" He pulled away from her as he turned to the mirror. "I don't think so…" _God! No wonder I always get so horny when she pulls on my tie!_ He bit his lip, hoping he didn't appear to be as flustered as he felt at the moment. _How am I ever gonna be able to tie a necktie without thinking about sex?_

"Well, Booth..." Brennan gave her husband a sultry look. "...ties are long, with various widths and most have a point on the end directed toward your crotch. See?" Brennan reached up to grab Booth's tie to pull her husband closer to her. "Perhaps a flashy tie serves as a form of advertisement, hmm?" She stroked his tie gently, running her index finger around the foulard pattern on the tie as she gave him a lingering kiss. "And so, when I stroke your tie, maybe I'm answering your ad…I'm telling you that I'm interested in what you have to offer...to see if there's truth in advertising..." She smiled suggestively as she smoothed his tie down flat against his shirt. "Maybe it's just like I'm stroking your…"

Booth interrupted Brennan. "Now wait just a minute. Gordon-Gordon said my wild ties were a symbol of rebellion, not sex symbols. Remember when you said that I needed to wear wild ties to stand out from the rest of the guys in the FBI? He agreed. He said I was rebelling against conformity." Booth looked through all the items on his dresser tray, trying to find his tie clip. "I'm in a hurry here, Bones…I have an appointment."

"Why can't your ties be symbols of rebellion and sex at the same time?" Brennan smirked as she gestured toward the large collection of the ties on the bed. "You may still think of yourself as a rebel, but I'd rather think that you're showing me how sexy you really are…" She kissed him again as she played with the ends of his tie. "It's working, by the way...I find you to be an incredibly sexy man…" She reached up to run her fingers gently from the knot of Booth's tie, down it's length, and then down to the front of his boxers.

"Hmph...Bones…" He returned the kiss, feeling his temperature, among other things, begin to rise significantly. "I'm in a hurry, Bones...I gotta go have a picture taken this morning, remember? I have an appointment..." He put his arms around Brennan as she kissed him again, caressing her gently. "I need to get ready…"

"Perhaps you can call and make a later appointment to have your portrait made." Brennan gave Booth a flirty smile as she stroked the length of his necktie more insistently. "Because I'm ready now…"

Squirming a bit as his breathing got heavier, Booth nodded and smiled at his wife as she began to unbutton his shirt. He pulled her down on their bed next to the neckties. "You're right...I guess maybe I should call and change my appointment…"


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: another chapter that's a bit different. You may have to be patient when you read this one..._

Seeley Booth walked slowly from the break room to his office and sat down gingerly in his desk chair, grimacing slightly with pain as he stirred his coffee. It'd been about six week since Pam Nunan had shot him in the chest, and even though it had been a "flesh wound", he was still sore. He raised his right arm up and behind his head, wanting to stretch his healing muscles a bit, and he tilted his head from side to side, trying to get comfortable before he launched into the large stack of files that was waiting for him on his desk. Anxious to get back into his work routine, he'd come back to work as soon as he'd been released to do so, even though his doctor had suggested another week of rest to let his torn muscles heal. Booth puffed out an exasperated sigh. It wasn't his sore chest that he was concerned about...he knew he was in good shape and he'd heal quickly. His partnership with Bones, on the other hand...he wasn't as sure about that. He wondered how long that was going to take to heal.

Rubbing his eyes as he opened the top file, he thought once again about the look of anger that had crossed her face just before she slugged him in the jaw at his fake funeral. That damn Sweets hadn't told Bones the truth about what was going on with the Bureau's plan to catch that son of a bitch, and Booth could easily see what Bones was feeling. She'd assumed she'd been abandoned again, and that he was the one playing fast and easy with her emotions and insecurities. It had been frustrating, trying to explain things to her when she was too furious to listen, and with everything that had gone on afterward...finding out that Zack was in collusion with Gormogon...there'd been no time for Booth and Brennan to sit down and hash out what had really happened with the whole fake death thing and how it might affect their ability to trust each other. Groaning softly, he turned to the next page in the file, trying to concentrate, but all he could think about were the questions she'd asked him after she'd barged into his bathroom late in the evening right after she'd found out he was really alive.

" _Why didn't you tell me? Don't you trust me? Why didn't you tell me yourself? Who was supposed to tell me? Did you really think I needed to be vetted? Who cares about protocol?"_

Booth trusted her implicitly. His mistake had been in trusting the Bureau...in allowing himself to think that Sweets, or whoever represented the Bureau, would do the right thing by his partner. Scowling, Booth thought of what he might've lost to Sweets' damn experiment. It had literally taken years for Bones to learn to trust him, and all Booth could do now was to hope her faith in him hadn't been destroyed.

He shook off those thoughts as he tried to concentrate on the file. Being patient wasn't something he did well, but he'd tried to be patient with Bones as she'd gotten used to her new reality, working without her beloved intern. He'd allowed her time to grieve for Zack, giving her some time and space over the last six weeks or so. He knew it was going to be difficult for her to adjust to Zack being out of the picture, and, as he'd told Sweets, he knew she shouldn't be rushed. He'd wait for her to make the next move...he'd wait months if he had to...but he hoped he wouldn't have to wait too much longer for her to want to work with him again. Booth bit his lip as he turned to the next page of the file. Truth be told, he missed Bones a lot more than he cared to admit…he found himself thinking of her more and more, wanting to see her...

His musings were interrupted by the chiming of his phone, telling him that he had a text. Glancing at the screen, his heart did a little flip when he saw the message was from Brennan.

 _Please meet me at the diner for lunch. Noon. My treat. We need to talk. TB_

Glancing at his watch, Booth closed the file and shut down his computer. Nothing was going to get done until after lunch anyway...not until he found out what Bones wanted to tell him.

Oooooooooo

Looking around as he entered the diner, Booth saw Brennan smile and wave at him from their favorite table. He sighed with relief. It was so good to see her smiling happily after everything that had happened recently. "Hiya, Bones. How ya doin'?" He sat down across from her, trying to hide his silly grin. "It's good to see you."

"I'm fine, Booth, although I find that I've had some difficulty adapting to the changes at the lab. I've gotten used to having an intern to assist me." She paused, looking as if she was unsure about how to continue. "I'm glad you were finally able to go back to work so soon. How are you feeling? Have you recovered completely?" Brennan sipped her tea as she studied his arms and chest. "You seem to have no lingering effects from your injury."

"Nah, I'm fine. I'm a little sore, of course, but, you know, it was just a nick, really…" He paused as the waitress came over to take their order.

Brennan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Booth, your pectoralis major muscle and the sheet of muscle lying under it were compromised significantly by the bullet that struck you. You were fortunate that you didn't suffer a more severe injury." Brennan avoided eye contact as she ran her finger around the saucer holding her teacup. "I still feel badly about it, Booth. It should've been me that was shot, not you. It upsets me that you were wounded instead of me."

"Aw, c'mon, Bones. We're partners. We help each other out, right? So I got shot this time. Next time I'll duck better." He gave her a small smile as he reached over to pat her hand. "I'm just glad you didn't get shot, okay?"

"Thank you. I am, too." Brennan pushed her salad around on her plate with her fork, without actually eating any of it. "Booth...I want to apologize…I feel bad that I barged into your home that evening and accused you of not caring about me. I was very angry, and I guess I needed someone to blame. I know you were just following protocol, and I know you care about me. I really did appreciate what you did...taking a bullet for me, and I know you weren't trying to deliberately cause me pain."

"Bones, you don't need to apologize to me. You didn't do anything wrong, alright? It was all on Sweets. He was trying to prove something, acting like a big shot psychologist, I guess. He manipulated me and you in an underhanded way, so, of course you had every right to be angry. That's understandable. Anyway, I learned something from all of this shit that happened, you know? If I want something done right, I'll do it myself. You were right about that. I should've told you myself about this whole plan, instead of relying on someone else to do it." Booth dipped some french fries into his ketchup and took a bite, gesturing with them as he continued. "I also want you to know that I went to see Cullen, and I told him what happened...you know, the whole bit about you should've been told that I was alive but you weren't. He's gonna send out a new set of protocols to everybody who's supposed to inform people that their loved ones are still alive and stuff like that. Cullen was plenty pissed at Sweets, too, and he said he was going to talk to Sweets personally about how he caused this whole goddamn fiasco."

"Good. You're correct. Even though Sweets knew I could compartmentalize my emotions, I find it very annoying that he conducted an experiment on us." Brennan studied her plate for a few seconds, avoiding eye contact with her partner. "You know, Booth...they wouldn't let me in to see you...when they told me you had died. The hospital staff said I wasn't on your list, so I couldn't come into the room where you were. Of course, now I understand why, but…"

"I'll take care of that, Bones. I'll make sure that I add you to my next of kin list. We're partners, and we take care of each other, right? Trust me, alright?" He watched as she tried to surreptitiously brush a tear from her cheek. "I'm so sorry. This whole thing was so fucked up. I never meant to hurt you by pretending to be dead just so I could catch that bastard. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know. You've always proven yourself to be a trustworthy partner, Booth, and I enjoy working with you. I find that I'm anxious to return to our working arrangement whenever a case presents itself." Brennan finally met Booth's eyes and smiled again. "But there was another reason I wanted to talk to you today. I have something for you." Reaching over to the chair next to her seat, she produced a large box. "Here...this is for you. I hope you like it."

Booth looked over the large box and glanced back at her. "What is it?"

Brennan laughed out loud. "Why don't you open it and find out?" She watched with pleasure as her partner broke the tape and took the lid from the box.

"Bones...this is...you really didn't have to...I don't know what to say!" Booth lifted the chocolate brown leather jacket out of the box and gently ran his fingers over the buttery material. "I mean, this is a really nice gift, but…"

"Your green jacket was ruined when you were shot, because you bled quite profusely, and then the paramedics cut it away to begin rendering first aid. Since you were shot protecting me, it seemed only fair that I replace your jacket. Unfortunately, I was unable to find an exact replica of your green jacket. It seems jackets like that are no longer available, so I settled for this one instead. I hope it's satisfactory."

Booth took off his suit jacket and lay it across the chair next to him. He slipped the leather jacket on over his dress shirt, admiring the fit. "It's perfect. I mean, it fits like it was made for me…"

"Because it was custom made for you. I'm glad I was able to estimate your measurements so well." She gave him an admiring glance as he checked the jacket's fit. "I'm glad you like it. It looks very nice on you. I think that color looks exceptional with your complexion."

"Wow...thanks, Bones, but really...it's too much…I mean, it must've cost a fortune to have this thing custom made..." Booth smiled as he ran his hand down the soft leather that made up the sleeve and the front of jacket.

"You saved my life, Booth. Replacing your jacket is minor compared to that." Brennan paused as Booth held up a finger as he answered his phone.

"Booth...yeah, okay. Dr. Brennan is here with me, so maybe twenty minutes. Yeah. See you then." He twitched his eyebrow at his partner. "Looks like we've got a case." He took off the leather jacket and put his suit coat back on. Picking up his new prized possession, he smiled broadly as he stroked the leather once again. "I really love my new jacket, Bones. Thanks."

Brennan nodded as she smiled back, finally ready to move on from her distrust and pain, and back into her partnership with her trusted friend. "You're welcome, Booth."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Booth's costume from Mummy in the Maze is one of my personal favorites from Booth's wardrobe..._

It was a cool, crisp Saturday morning in the middle of October. Booth was standing at the kitchen counter, absentmindedly stirring his cereal as he turned to the next page of the sports section from the morning newspaper. With the World Series, pro and college football, and the beginning of the hockey season, Booth was in sport lover's heaven. He was too preoccupied reading articles and looking up scores to notice that his wife was lurking quietly behind him.

Brennan had come into the kitchen to check items in the pantry while making her grocery list when she was pleasantly distracted by her husband's apparel. Normally on a Saturday morning he wore battered jeans and some sort of old tee shirt. Today, however, was different. Instead of a tee shirt and jeans, this morning he was wearing a long sleeved medium blue plaid buttoned down shirt with casual khaki slacks. The closely fitting tapered shirt was made from a soft brushed cotton, and the well tailored slacks sat perfectly on Booth's narrow hips, especially from Brennan's vantage point, standing behind her husband. Unable to resist, she walked up behind Booth and wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a hug. "Good morning."

"Oh, hey, Bones." He turned and smiled as he put his arm around her. "Getting ready to go to the grocery store?"

"My usual Saturday morning errands. Library, Farmer's Market, Whole Foods, Priceco, gas." She ran her hand down the front of Booth's shirt. "I really like this shirt, Booth, but you don't wear it very often…"

Booth laughed as he caressed his wife. "Yeah, well, I have to go to a meeting at the hospital this morning about this year's NF carnival. I was trying to figure out what to wear, and I decided a tee shirt and jeans wasn't going to cut it since there's gonna be some big shots in attendance today. You can take Hank with you on your errands this morning, right? I'm gonna drop Christine off at Angela's house on the way to the hospital. She's taking the kids to a art festival at the Farnsworth…" He smiled as he saw the faraway look in his wife's eyes and knew she wasn't listening to him. "Okay, what's going on? You're daydreaming…"

"Hmm?" She nodded as she smiled at him. "Booth, do you remember when we were working the case with the mummified human remains that we found in the maze?"

"Yeah...why? That was years ago. We were in costume because we were going to the Halloween party at the Jeffersonian, but we didn't make it. We went to rescue the girl that EMT kidnapped instead." Booth shuddered slightly. "Damn clown…"

"Do you remember what costumes we wore? I went as Wonder Woman…"

"Believe me, I remember that costume, Bones! When you stepped out of that room, and I saw what you looked like…" A dreamy smile spread across Booth's face. "You looked great! Just gorgeous! It was like I didn't have enough eyes to see everything, you know? I couldn't figure out where to look first! You had those little blue shorts that were covered with white stars, and they were paired with those knee high red boots, and your legs looked a mile long. And then…" He grinned as he cupped his hands in front of his chest. "I mean, I don't know how you kept that strapless top up, but you did...just barely, right? It must've been magic or something." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm pretty sure I spent the whole evening staring at your breasts. I guess I was hoping for some kind of wardrobe malfunction." He caressed her cheek and chuckled. "I bet you didn't know that I used to lie awake at night trying to figure out how you hid that gigantic pistol in that skimpy little outfit. I fantasized about finding that gun somewhere in your costume." Flashing a dimpled smile, he pulled her into a close hug. "It's too bad we had to work that night. I was really looking forward to thoroughly frisking you after the party..."

Brennan laughed as she lightly rubbed circles over her husband's broad chest. "The hiding place of that pistol will have to remain my secret, for now. Perhaps someday we can play find the gun. However, that's not what I remember the most." She smiled demurely as she played with the buttons on Booth's shirt. "I remember that blue plaid shirt you were wearing. It fit your body so well...that plaid showed off the breadth of your shoulders, and then the shirt was tapered down to your waist." She ran her hand down Booth's side. "You had it buttoned up to the top button for a while, but when you undid the top button I could see the white tee shirt you were wearing underneath. Perhaps I was ovulating, because it just seemed quite sexy to me for some reason." She coyly batted her eyelashes. "You were wearing that blue lab coat with the pocket protector, because you thought it made you look like a squint, remember? And you were wearing those glasses with the black frames that had the piece of tape on the bridge…and your hair was combed differently." Brennan smiled as she stroked Booth's cheek. "I thought you looked so attractive in that shirt, but the pants didn't fit that well…" She grabbed Booth's gluteus muscles and gave them a gentle squeeze, laughing at the surprised expression on his face. "Those pants were too loose, and too short, but I remember that I liked the way your shirt tail looked from the back…"

Booth grinned at Brennan as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So you were really checking me out that night, weren't you, Bones? I wish I still had that shirt, since you liked it so much, but I had to get rid of it...it had that big blood stain and bullet hole in it, you know…."

"That is unfortunate. Well, I think this plaid shirt is a suitable substitute. But you know what else I remember? You were wearing that lab coat, and then that evening you said so many intelligent things, and I said you should wear a lab coat all the time…"

"I see. So while I was fantasizing about Wonder Woman, you were fantasizing about squints. Does that make us the Odd Couple?" Booth grinned at his wife and shook his head. "I don't think I made a very good squint."

"Oh, you're definitely smart enough to be a 'squint', Booth, even though I'm not fond of that term." Brennan made air quotes with her hands as she grimaced slightly. "However, I think it's more accurate to say that I was fantasizing about Clark Kent…"

"Clark Kent was a newspaperman, not a lab rat, Bones. Come on...get your superhero backstories straight…" He laughed as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"The point is…" Brennan let her eyes roam over her husband's broad chest and impressive shoulders. "...in addition to making you appear to be a superhero, this plaid shirt makes you very, very attractive to me. In fact, I would say it's very stimulating…." She licked her lips as she winked at her husband. "Sexually stimulating…"

"Hmm...I may have to wear this shirt more often." He sighed as he glanced at his watch. "But I'm not sure we have time to act out our fantasies this morning, Bones…"

"I understand." Brennan ran her hands down the muscular arms contained in the long sleeves of the shirt and gave a little shrug of her shoulders. "However, I'll be thinking about you wearing this blue plaid shirt all day, and it'll make me look forward to our time together this evening even more than I normally do. I'm sure you know how that sort of anticipation can heighten the enjoyment of sexual intercourse, Booth."

Booth groaned softly. "C'mon...that's not fair, Bones, teasing me like that. How am I gonna be able to concentrate at my meeting if I have anticipation of this evening's sex to think about all day? I'm not gonna be able to make a lot of sense when we talk about rides and stuff for the carnival." He twitched his eyebrows suggestively at her. "I'm gonna be thinking about riding Wonder Woman instead..."

"I'm sorry, Booth. I guess you'll just have to be brave. At least you'll have something to occupy your thoughts if the meeting is boring...and something to look forward to this evening." She kissed him deeply and then pulled away. "I have to get Hank ready to go. I'll see you later this afternoon." She arched her eyebrow and gave him a naughty grin as she turned and walked toward Hank's bedroom.

"Whew." Booth gritted his teeth as he tried to calm his surging sex drive. He glanced at his watch again and then followed his wife to his son's bedroom. "Hey, Bones? I think maybe I've got a few extra minutes before I have to leave. Do you think maybe I could have a brief preview of this evening's activities? I'm not sure I want to have to anticipate things all day long...c'mon...maybe a brief wardrobe malfunction? Please?"

Brennan picked up Hank from his crib, and turned back to Booth with a sly smile. "You're going to be late. Remember? Christine is supposed to be at Angela's house by 9:30." Brennan chuckled as she saw her husband's sad puppy eyes. "However, I think I have a solution that will appease you. Christine won't need to be picked up until four, so maybe after lunch, while Hank's down for his nap, we can see if you can figure out where I hid that pistol, okay?"

Booth's eyes lit up as he nodded in agreement. "I think that'll work." He bent over to kiss Hank goodbye and whispered in Brennan's ear. "I'm really gonna enjoy frisking you this afternoon, Bones!"


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: This chapter takes place about eight years in the future..._

"Hi, Bones." Booth walked in the front door, pausing to kiss his wife. "How was your day?"

"Fine. Since we don't have a case I worked in bone storage most of the day." Brennan scrolled through their joint email account on her tablet as she took a sip of her tea. "Oh...here's an email addressed to you. It's from Christine's school."

"Addressed to me? Not to both of us? That's kind of strange, isn't it?" Booth opened the attachment and read the letter carefully before handing the tablet to Brennan. "Well, look at this. I've been invited to participate in the Veteran's Day Assembly at Christine's school. The principal wants me to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and maybe say a few words of introduction for some of the veterans that are going to be recognized."

"That's quite an honor, Booth. I assume you're going to accept." Brennan smiled as she handed the tablet back to Booth. "I know Christine will be very proud of you."

"Yeah, she might be proud, but she won't let it show. That's the way it is when you're fourteen. Your parents are dweebs, or whatever kids say now that means dweebs." Booth read through the letter again with an uncertain look on his face. "There may be one small problem, though. It says that participants are requested to be in dress uniform. I'm not sure I can still get into my class A's. I can't remember the last time I wore it, but I'm sure it was several years ago. I'll have to dig it out and see if it still fits. Maybe I ought to do that before I commit to participating in the assembly."

"Let's see." Brennan pulled up a calendar on her tablet. "November eleventh is on a Monday. You'd have approximately three weeks to get your uniform altered if you needed to have that done. However, you're still in exceptionally good shape, Booth. I feel sure that your uniform will still look good on you."

"Yeah, maybe. I'll see if I can find it in the closet after dinner and try it on."

Oooooooooo

After a nice dinner and a double Scotch, Booth decided he couldn't procrastinate any longer. It was time to see if his Army uniform still fit. He found the garment bag in the back of his closet, and lay it out on his bed. Taking a deep breath, he unzipped the bag and took out the snowy white shirt, the dark blue jacket and the blue pants. Booth slipped the jacket on over his tee shirt and buttoned it, clenching his jaw a bit before looking in the mirror. _Not bad. It still fits pretty well...now for the pants._ The pants were what he was worried about the most. He'd kept his weight down over the years, but he knew things might have shifted a bit on a man his age. He took off his jeans, and after saying a short prayer, he stepped into the uniform pants. He held his breath as he buttoned the waistband and zipped the fly. Relaxing a bit, he turned to look in the mirror again, relieved to see that the pants looked good on him. _Whew. I guess I can participate in the veteran's assembly after all._

Booth walked out to the family room so Brennan could see how well his uniform still fit. "Well, Bones, whaddy'a think? Not bad for an old man, huh?" He brushed a bit of lint off his shoulder and turned so she could see the back. "Not bad if I say so myself."

Brennan looked up from where she was helping Hank with his math homework and smiled proudly at her husband. The blue jacket draped over his broad shoulders perfectly, and the pants sat on his hips well, accenting his gluteus muscles nicely. "Booth...you look wonderful. Your uniform really does fit you well. I think Christine will be so proud of you at the assembly."

Hank nodded enthusiastically. "You look great, Dad, but you don't look like a real soldier. Real soldiers wear camouflage, right?"

Laughing, Booth reached down to tickle his son. "I was a real soldier, Hank. This was my dress uniform. Ask your mom. She remembers when I used to wear camo, right, Bones?"

Brennan's smile faded a bit as she thought of Booth standing in the airport, wearing his camouflage fatigues as he came to see her off, clasping her hand tightly and looking so sad before she left for the Maluku dig and he left for Afghanistan. "I remember, Booth. Your father looked exactly like a soldier in his camouflage uniform, Hank, but I like his dress uniform better."

Noticing her slight grimace, Booth winked at Brennan as he patted Hank on the shoulder. "After awhile I decided I didn't want to wear my camouflage uniform any more. I wanted to stay home with your mom instead, so I retired from the Army, but I still get to wear my dress uniform for special occasions, like a Veteran's Day assembly."

"Too bad your sister isn't home to see how nice your father looks, isn't it, Hank? Do you think I need to take your uniform to the cleaners before the assembly, Booth?"

"Nah, I think it's fine. I gotta check all my ribbons and stuff to make sure they're okay, but I think we're in good shape."

"Mom…", Hank piped up. "I wanna go see Dad at the 'sembly. Can I go, please?"

"We'll see, Hank. I think the Veteran's Day celebration at Christine's school would be an excellent assembly for you to attend, but I need to speak to your teacher first to make sure you won't be missing anything important, like a math test." Brennan smiled as she handed Hank his math book. "Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed, please."

"Okay. Night, Daddy."

"Night, Tiger. See you in the morning. Pancakes?"

"You bet!" Hank bounced toward his bedroom to find his pajamas.

"When's Christine coming home? It's almost nine on a school night." Booth grimaced slightly as he unbuttoned his jacket.

"She went to a basketball game at school, but she should be home any minute. Why don't you go change out of your uniform? That way she'll be more surprised when she sees you at the assembly."

"More surprised…" Booth gave Brennan a confused look. "She knows I'm coming to the assembly, right?"

The latch on the front door clicked as it was opening. "Just go change, Booth. I'll explain later."

Oooooooooo

The big day finally arrived, and Booth stood with several other uniformed veterans in the lobby of the school's auditorium. Mr. Miller, the building principal, was wearing the dress uniform of a major in the United States Marines as he greeted each person who was participating in the assembly, as well as several other veterans who'd been invited as special guests of the student body.

The auditorium was decorated beautifully with patriotic bunting and streamers, and flags representing the different branches of the service lined the back of the stage next to the American flag. Principal Miller introduced Sergeant Major Seeley Booth, who then led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. The school choir sang a patriotic medley, and the school's band played songs from each branch of the service. After a short speech by the principal, it was time to acknowledge the veterans in attendance and their families.

There were a handful of elderly men introduced as veterans of the Korean Conflict, receiving a standing ovation as they rose from their seats. Next the veterans of the Vietnam War were introduced, some wiping away tears as they responded to the standing ovation they received. Veterans of other conflicts were also introduced. Soldiers and sailors that had served in Desert Storm, Kosovo, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and many other places around the world were all asked to stand in turn and were acknowledged with loud applause from the student body, their families and the many dignitaries in attendance. Finally it was time for Booth to speak again.

"If we have any audience members who are currently in the reserves or on active duty, will you please stand and be recognized?" A few men and women stood up and waved as the crowd applauded. "Thank you. Now, ladies and gentlemen…" Booth paused as he noticed the handsome young man in the Coast Guard dress blue uniform approaching the stage. No...it couldn't be him, could it? He was on maneuvers. "Parker? Parker, is it really you?" The audience cheered wildly as Parker Booth mounted the steps to the stage and embraced his father before taking a step back to admire his father's uniform.

"Happy Veteran's Day, Dad. You look great!"

"How did this happen? Wait...I know...Bones…she arranged for this didn't she?"

"Yep. She sent me an email, wanting to know if I could get a day or two of liberty to surprise you today. It worked right?"

"Yeah, Parker, it worked." Booth embraced his son again. "God, I'm so happy to see you!"

The assembly ended, and veterans and their families milled around as the crowd thinned, posing for pictures or stopping to greet each other. Both Christine and Hank were thrilled to see their older brother, and made him promise that he'd have dinner with the whole family that evening. "I'm so glad to see you, Parker!", Christine bubbled, as she posed for another picture with him. "My friends are so impressed. They think you look so hot in your uniform!"

Booth arched his eyebrow at his daughter's statement before he turned and shook Parker's hand again as he slapped him on the back. "Man, I still don't believe this. What a great surprise! And I guess you get to celebrate Veteran's Day as a veteran now."

"Yeah. It feels different, somehow...it's hard to explain." Parker looked at his dad to see if he understood. "It's personal now. It makes me feel proud to serve, you know?"

"I know. You do look pretty good in that uniform." Booth elbowed Parker playfully in the ribs.

"Well, I hope when I'm your age I still look as good as you do in yours." Parker laughed at his dad's grimace over the 'your age' comment. "Come on. Let's go home, Dad. I don't want to waste my liberty standing around a school auditorium."

"Good idea, Parker. Let's go home."


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: jsboneslover wanted to know what happened at the dinner mentioned in the last chapter. This chapter takes place on the same day, eight years in the future._

Temperance Brennan stood in front of her open closet door, trying to decide what to wear out to dinner that evening. Normally she wasn't one to fret over her clothing choices, but as she watched her husband change clothes, it struck her once again that men had a much easier time dealing with current fashion trends than women did. Men's clothing styles rarely changed as dramatically as women's clothing styles, and it struck her as somewhat unfair. Lapels and ties might change widths, and the legs of pants might become wider or more narrow, but most men could throw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and be considered well dressed for most occasions. Women on the other hand, often had to deal with changing hemlines, popular colors and patterns and whether or not their clothes should be loosely flowing or form fitting. After finally making what she considered to be an appropriate option, she changed from her work clothes into her casual clothes as she contemplated the vagaries of fashion, until her musings were interrupted by her husband, who had ambushed her and embraced her from behind.

He'd changed from his dress uniform to a pair of well fitting dark wash jeans and a maroon two button henley pullover sweater, and Brennan found his appearance to be quite alluring. As much as she admired his physique in his dark gray suits or his dark blue uniform, Booth was always extremely attractive to her when he was wearing his casual clothes.

"Hmm", he mumbled as he caressed his wife. "You look nice. I hope I can behave myself in front of the kids while we're at dinner."

Brennan giggled as she shook her head, pulling away from him slightly. "I'm wearing jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt. I'm surprised you find these clothes so enticing."

Winking at his wife, Booth chuckled. "It's not what you're wearing. It's who's wearing it, and then later, who's taking it off." He gave her a quick kiss. "Are you ready to go? I'm getting hungry."

"I've got to put on my boots and I'll be ready." She stepped into one of her boots and zipped it, pulling her pants leg down over the shank. "So I really surprised you with Parker's visit, right? I think I'm getting very good surprising you."

"Yes, you really surprised me. You _are_ getting good at that!" Booth crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll tell you what else surprised me. This afternoon, after the assembly, Christine told Parker that her girlfriends thought he looked 'hot' in his uniform."

"Parker is a very nice looking man…" Brennan rose to embrace Booth after she zipped her other boot. "...just like his father. Of course the girls at Christine's school would notice that…"

"But how does our little girl even know what 'hot' means? I mean, the way she said it...she wasn't talking about the room temperature, you know?" Booth pursed his lips at his wife. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for Christine to think about guys that way."

"The word 'hot' has had a sexual connotation for several years, Booth. In fact, approximately twenty years ago, Angela and I described you as 'hot' when we talked about you."

"So, now that I'm older, what am I...lukewarm or tepid?" Booth pretended to pout as he gave Brennan a sad look. "Thanks, Bones. Way to make me feel bad…"

"Oh, no, Booth...you're still very hot...but I believe we'll need to save that conversation for later this evening. Right now we need to leave for dinner. We have reservations, remember?" Brennan giggled as Booth pulled her close and kissed her.

"We'll definitely discuss this later…"

Oooooooooo

A few hours later Booth and Brennan were relaxing with their children around their table at Rigoletto's, their favorite Italian restaurant. The food had been excellent, and the company had made the meal even better. Parker had regaled them with stories about life aboard a Coast Guard cutter as the ship patrolled the Atlantic Ocean.

"I don't understand.", Christine began. "You're a computer guy, right? Why do you have to sail on the ship with all those other guys?"

Parker shrugged as he ate a bite of tiramisu. "The ship's navigation and guidance systems are run by computers. Our ship gets lots of emails from the base and from other ships at sea. There are a lot of systems on a big vessel like the _Thompson_ that are operated by computers, and if one of them breaks down, we're in bad shape. I gotta make sure everything's working right. I'm constantly doing systems and software checks." Parker grinned as he ate another bite of his dessert. "But what I really wanna talk about right now is whether or not Chrissy has a boyfriend."

Christine turned white and then red as her little brother spilled the beans. "She does! Christine has a boyfriend! His name is Kyle Davis, and Christine told Jennifer all about it while they were talking on the phone yesterday. Chrissy said that Kyle's gorgeous and then he held her hand while they walked to class, and now she's in love! She wants to kiss him...OW!" Hank finally stopped talking because his sister had slugged him in the arm.

"Christine! That's enough!", her father barked. Dropping his voice to a whisper, Booth continued as he glared at his daughter. "Why haven't I met this Kyle kid? You're holding hands with him, and I haven't met him yet?"

Brennan reached over to pat Booth's arm. "Calm down, Booth. Christine and Kyle have been 'going out' for only a couple of days. You'll get to meet him eventually."

"Yeah, but he's holding my daughter's hand. You know what that can lead to…" Booth was not pleased with this new development.

Parker smiled as he watched his family sitting around the dinner table, discussing Christine's new boyfriend. He knew the hardest part about being away from home was how much he missed his family. Finally he cleared his throat to get their attention. "Okay, my turn." Everyone turned to look at Parker. He inhaled deeply before continuing. "I had an ulterior motive for coming to see you. I wanted to surprise Dad at the assembly...that was part of it, but there's something else...something really serious has happened, and I want all of you to know about it now, before you accidentally hear it from someone else."

Seeing Parker's thoughtful expression, Booth became worried. "It's okay, son. Whatever it is that's happened, we'll support you. You know that."

"Yeah, I do. Thanks, Dad." Parker smiled at his father before continuing. "After I graduated from the Coast Guard Academy, I had some time off before my first rotation, so I went to London to see some of my old friends from high school…"

"Parker…" Brennan grimaced slightly. "You didn't get in trouble with the law over there, did you? Old friends can certainly lead someone astray…"

"No, of course not. It's nothing like that." Parker chewed the inside of his lip as he fidgeted with his fork. "Anyway, one of the guys I knew from high school invited my old girlfriend...Meredith. Remember her? She was invited to one of our get-togethers, and when I saw her, it was like I'd never left her. I mean, what I felt and what she felt...it was still there for both of us, going strong. We still loved each other. The problem was that I couldn't stay in London very long because I had to come home for my rotation. We've corresponded back and forth as much as possible, and as soon as I could get some time off I went back to see her. And so, to make a long story short, Dad, you're gonna have to rent a tux, because I'm gonna need a best man. Meredith and I are getting married in London sometime around Christmas next year."

"Parker! You're getting married? That's wonderful! Congratulations, son!" Booth was grinning from ear to ear as he shook his son's hand.

"Thanks, Dad. I know it's kind of weird to tell you without Meredith being here with me, but she thought it would be a good idea if I just went ahead and told you. It's too hard to keep something like that a secret, you know? Just think, Dad...I brought a tuxedo from London for your wedding, and now you're gonna bring a tuxedo to London for my wedding. Life's funny, isn't it?"

Booth put his arm around Brennan and gave her a gentle squeeze as he smiled at his son. "Yep, Parker...life's funny."


	14. Chapter 14 White Dress Shirt

_A/N: I know it's been a long time since I've updated this story. I was distracted by other things...I hope this chapter makes up for it. This takes place in season 10 before the gambling issue becomes such a big problem... Laura_

"Hiya, Bones." Booth walked briskly into the kitchen late one afternoon. "Hey, can you make me a sandwich or two? Me and Aubrey have to do a stakeout tonight, and I'm not gonna be home for dinner…"

"Tonight? Booth, you just got home." Brennan bit her lip slightly as she realized she was whining. "I'm sorry I sound so shrewish. I guess I'm just surprised they called you in to do a stakeout. Isn't that something the Special Agent in Charge normally doesn't do?"

"Yeah, well, this guy's been a tough nut to crack. The RICO boys have been after him for a long time, and they got a tip that he's gonna try to jump bail this evening. Me and Aubrey are gonna watch his place to see if he leaves his house so we can let RICO know he's on the move…" Booth averted his gaze from his wife, knowing she'd be worried about his safety. "It's routine…"

"RICO...Booth, are you doing surveillance on a drug lord or the head of an organized crime family?" Brennan tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for an answer. "That can be so dangerous...he could have armed men watching the street for anyone who looks suspicious. Who is it?"

Booth rolled his eyes as he tried to laugh off his wife's concern. "Look, it's no big deal, okay? Me and Aubrey go sit across the street from the guy's house. I eat my sandwiches, and Aubrey eats four or five sandwiches while we pass the time talking about baseball for a couple of hours." He glanced at his watch, hoping to get away from Brennan's pointed questions. "I gotta go change…" Unknotting his tie and unbuttoning his shirt collar, he nodded toward the pantry. "Do you have time to make me those sandwiches? Maybe throw some chips and a couple of cookies in a bag with a bottle of water?"

"Not until you tell me who you're going to have under surveillance." Brennan crossed her arms across her chest and glared at her husband. "It's not just your life you have to think about now, Booth. You're responsible for Christine and our new baby as well." She tried to blink her tears away. "I have a right to know, so I can be prepared for the worst thing that can happen…"

Sighing heavily, Booth embraced his normally rational wife and let her cry a bit before he spoke again. He knew her hormones had her emotions very close to the surface now, ready to spill over with the slightest provocation. "Okay...it's okay. You know we're gonna be careful, right? I won't let anyone keep me away from you, alright? Not even Pedro Artola…"

Brennan looked at her husband in alarm. "Pedro Artola? Booth, he's already been accused of shooting two drug enforcement officers...he killed one of them, remember?"

"Yeah, I do remember. I knew the guy who died. Kyle Tobin was a great guy, and if I can help bring down Pedro Artola, I'm gonna do it. Artola's slimeball lawyer got the judge to allow Artola to post bail, and now the RICO boys think he's gonna try to make it out of the country and head for Venezuela." Drawing Brennan close to him again, he kissed her gently. "Me and Aubrey, we're just gonna sit in the SUV and see if he leaves his place, okay? If he does, we're gonna tail him until the RICO guys can take over. That's it. Piece of cake." He ran his thumb tenderly under her eyes to wipe her tears away. "How about those sandwiches, okay? I'm gonna go change…" He kissed her again as she sniffled slightly and nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Bones."

Oooooooooo

The house was dark and quiet. Christine had been in bed for several hours. Booth had said that Brennan didn't need to wait up for him, since he didn't know how late he'd be, but she knew she'd have a hard time sleeping well without him next to her in their bed. However, she was very tired and had dozed off over her laptop several times. Finally, she decided to give up and get ready for bed.

As she turned on the lamp in the bedroom, she couldn't help but relax slightly as she noticed the familiar and comforting scent she associated with her husband. He was normally very neat, and he took fastidious care of his dress clothes, but he'd been in a hurry to leave, so his white dress shirt had been carelessly tossed over a chair. Brennan picked it up and held it to her cheek, breathing in the mixture of laundry soap, cologne, and Booth, and she realized she felt more relaxed than she had earlier in the evening, when her pregnancy hormones were running rampant, trampling on her emotional stability. She wanted Booth safe at home with her this evening, but perhaps this shirt would ease her sense of loneliness a bit…

She stripped down to her panties and pulled on his crisp white shirt, laughing as it enveloped her in folds of fabric. She smoothed down the front and fastened a few of the buttons before turning up the cuffs. Pulling up the collar, she inhaled Booth's scent again and sighed as she crawled into bed. This would have to do until Booth got home from the stakeout.

Oooooooooo

It was four o'clock in the morning when Booth finally unlocked his front door and moved quietly toward his bedroom. He was too tired to even shower. All he wanted was some sleep. He was surprised that his bedroom lamp was still on, figuring there was no way Brennan would still be awake, especially since her pregnancy had made her so tired. Peeking quietly through the bedroom door, he smiled. There was Brennan, wearing his white shirt as she slept sprawled out on top of the bedspread. He gently rubbed her shoulder. "Bones? Hey, Bones, I'm home…"

She blinked sleepily as she turned over and groaned. "Is that you, Booth? What time is it?"

"Yes, it's me, Booth! Who else would it be? It's four in the morning. Hey, we got Artola...it went down pretty much like we planned." Booth grinned as he pushed a strand of hair behind Brennan's ear. "So what's the big idea stealing my dress shirt? Isn't it bad enough that you steal my FBI tee shirts and my good concert tee shirts?"

Pouting a little bit, Brennan stuck out a trembling lip. "I missed you so much tonight, and I thought your shirt would give me some comfort." She shrugged slightly. "I guess it's sort of like Christine's stuffed rabbit. She likes it because it smells like us." Smiling coyly, Brennan batted her eyelashes at her smiling husband. "It worked, too, because I was sleeping quite comfortably until you woke me. I guess maybe if you ever decide to leave me I'll just keep a couple of your shirts and I'll be satisfied with that…"

"I don't think so…" Booth chuckled as he lay down next to his wife. "First of all, you're never getting rid of me, so you might as well just deal with that." He kissed her and reached for the shirt buttons. "Secondly, this shirt can't satisfy you like this…not like I can..." He opened the front of the shirt and caressed her soft skin, running his hands gently over her breasts and hips, pausing as he gently stroked her abdomen. "I think you need the real thing, don't you? You need me…" He pushed the shirt down off her shoulders. "...and I need you…"

Brennan giggled as Booth nibbled at her ears and neck. "Oh, okay. You're right. I need you. I hope you don't have to go back to work early today, because I believe I'll need you for several hours…"

He smiled as he pulled her over onto his chest. "I'm yours for as long as you want, Bones...as long as you want."


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: originally this chapter was going to be about Booth in a tuxedo for Parker's wedding in London, but I've discovered that men at English weddings wear something called a morning suit. There are several images on line in case you're interested in what they look like. This chapter takes place about nine years in the future._

 _oooooooooo_

It was a sunny Saturday morning in June, and soft sunlight was streaming through the window of the hotel room. As she stood in front of the mirror that was hanging over the dresser, Brennan adjusted her wide brimmed hat one more time before smoothing her royal blue silk dress. Lifting the hat off her head, she grimaced slightly as she set it aside on top of the bureau. "Booth, are you ready yet? We need to leave soon….the limousine will be here shortly."

A frustrated groan emanated from the bathroom. "Son of a bitch...why the hell do I have to mess with this stupid tie? When Parker said I'd have to wear a special tuxedo for his wedding I had no idea what I was in for." Booth strode out of the bathroom and walked over to Brennan. "Can you help me with this ascot thing? I've never worn one before, and I have to put this stickpin in, too, I think…"

"Booth, in Great Britain, it's customary for men to wear a morning suit to a formal wedding. I think it looks very nice on you." Brennan smiled appreciatively at her husband's attire. Even though he was in his fifties, Booth was still trim and well muscled, and his suit certainly showed off his well toned physique. His charcoal gray and navy pinstriped pants were topped with a cream colored double breasted waistcoat buttoned over his crisp white shirt. "Here, let me help you with your tie." After much pulling and adjusting, and after consulting the internet via their cell phones, Booth's dark blue ascot and pearl stick pin were finally in their correct place.

"Now, don't adjust it any more, Booth." Brennan glared at her fidgety husband. "It has to stay there until after the wedding reception is well underway. I believe the way it works is that after all the photographs have been taken, we'll adjourn to the reception. As the best man, you're supposed to deliver a speech about the bride and groom and then offer a toast, after which the wedding party can relax a bit."

"Yeah, I know." Booth flexed his neck from side to side as he stuck his finger under the stiff pointed collar and smoothed down his ascot. "I'm not sure this shirt fits right. I wonder if the formal wear shop in DC sent my correct size to the shop here in London."

Brennan smiled gently at her flushed and irritable husband. "Perhaps you're just slightly anxious and somewhat nervous…"

Booth heaved a big sigh. "You're right...I'm really nervous...a lot more nervous than when we got married. Even after everything that had happened with the church and all, it was so easy to marry you. I'd waited so long, and when it finally happened, all I could think about was how happy I was." He embraced his wife gently and kissed her. "But, you know, marrying off my son...thinking that he's a grown man about to start a new life with his wife…that's enough to make anybody nervous."

"And, in addition, you have to give a speech at the reception…" Brennan grinned, knowing Booth would be nervous about that as well. "Do you have it with you?"

Picking up his navy blue jacket, Booth nodded. "It's in the pocket of this fancy coat. Have you seen the tails on this thing? I'm gonna look like Jiminy Cricket…"

Brennan furrowed her brow. "I don't understand. Why would your jacket make you look like an insect?"

Chuckling, Booth shook his head. "Never mind, Bones. I'll explain it to you later. I guess we'd better go. We don't want to be late. Are Christine and Hank ready?" Booth checked his pockets one more time before picking up the hotel key.

"Yes, they're waiting for us in the lobby." Quickly picking up her purse, Brennan headed for the door, but turned around quickly as she heard her husband chuckle and call her name. "Why are you laughing at me?"

Holding up Brennan's blue hat, he held it out to her. "You forgot your headdress. Men have to wear weird suits to English weddings, and women have to wear weird hats." He smiled as Brennan tried once again to adjust it correctly. "You look great, by the way. That dress is something else. The way it shows off your curves is pretty amazing. I think it's gonna put me in a honeymoon mood, you know?" He gave her a flirty wink as he put his arm around her. "Good thing we got the kids a separate room…"

oooooooooo

The limousine pulled up in front of the quaint St. Oswald's Church. As the driver opened the door for them, Booth explained the plans to his family. "Bones, you and the kids are gonna sit in the pew with Rebecca and her husband Brent. I guess the ushers will seat you in the right place. I've gotta go meet Parker in the rector's office." He kissed Brennan on the cheek and smiled. "See you soon."

Walking quickly to the back of the church, Booth found Parker eagerly waiting for him in the church's rectory. "Hey, Dad! Man, you look great in that suit…"

"Thanks." Booth nodded and pursed his lips slightly as he pretended to glare at his son. "How come I have to wear this fancy monkey suit and you get to wear your dress blues? I could've worn my Class A's…"

Parker laughed at his dad's slight irritation. "That's just the way it works, Dad. I'm an active member of the military, so I get to wear my uniform instead of a coat with long tails and a fancy vest. At least you don't have to mess with the top hat." Brushing imaginary lint from his uniform sleeve, Parker grinned at his father. "Meredith's dad was a Royal Marine, and he wanted to wear his dress uniform, too, but she said no way...she wanted the men to wear the traditional morning suit for her wedding. The only reason I could get away with wearing my uniform instead of a morning suit is because I'm currently enlisted." Reaching into his pants pocket, Parker pulled out a small object. "Here's Meredith's ring, and also, maybe you could help me keep up with my cover, right? Meredith wants a picture of me with my whole get up, hat and all, today…."

Booth nodded as he put the ring in his pocket. "Sure, I'll be glad to." He reached out to shake Parker's hand. "We're so happy for you, Parker. Meredith is a fine girl, and I know you're gonna be happy."

"Thanks, Dad." Parker reached up to rub his eyes. "Thanks for everything...thanks for being here for me, just like you've always been here." He held up his hand to interrupt his father's protests. "I know you weren't actually here in London with me, but when we spent time together, you taught me so much, and it stayed with me, you know? I'm looking forward to teaching my own kids that same stuff some day."

Sniffling slightly, Booth pulled Parker into a bear hug. "You're welcome, Parker." He cleared his throat and pointed toward the door leading to the church. "C'mon. We don't want to keep Meredith waiting. Let's go get you married."

Oooooooooo

The wedding went off smoothly, and the reception was just beginning as Booth stood at the head table, gently rapping his fork against his glass. Pulling at his collar and ascot once again, he coughed nervously as he looked over the paper he'd pulled from his jacket pocket. It was time to give his speech. Booth looked over the expectant crowd and sighed loudly before crumpling up his sheet of paper.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating the bride and groom." Polite applause filled the room. "I know it's traditional for the best man to give a speech at the reception, and I really did have one all written out, but I'm not really a speech kind of guy, so I've decided instead to share some advice with Meredith and Parker that was given to me by my grandfather...my Pops...on my own wedding day. He and my Nana were married fifty four years, so I guess this advice works." The crowd gently murmured in response. Smiling at his wife, Booth continued. "He said there were three things I needed to know about in order to stay happily married. First thing is...don't complain about what you're being served for dinner. Be thankful you've got something to eat, and someone to cook for you." The audience laughed quietly. "Second thing is...don't go to bed angry, even if you have to admit you're wrong once in awhile. In the long run, it really doesn't matter who's right about how to put the dishes in the dishwasher or how you put the toilet paper on the holder." The crowd chuckled, smiling and nodding in agreement. "The third thing is….don't forget to thank God everyday for your wonderful partner, and don't forget to let that person know how blessed you are by having them in your life. Treat them like the blessing they are, and, in return, you'll be blessed by their presence in your life." Booth turned to Meredith and Parker, raising a glass as he offered a toast. "May you be a blessing to each other for the rest of your long and happy lives together. To Meredith and Parker…"

The crowd responded by raising their glasses. "To Meredith and Parker…"

As he sat down next to his wife, Booth wiped his eyes and smiled. "I guess that went alright…"

"It was a lovely wedding, Booth, and your speech was very touching." Brennan smiled as she patted her husband's knee. "I think, perhaps, that even though you had to wear a very unusual suit and I had to wear a very large blue hat, it was all worthwhile to see Parker and Meredith happily married today. I hope they'll be as happy together as we are."

"I don't know, Bones…" Booth grinned as he watched Parker and Meredith dance their first dance together as a married couple. "I think the happiness we have together is pretty rare…" Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. "But I think, if they follow the advice Pops gave me, they'll have a pretty good shot to be just as happy as we are."

ooooooooo

 _A/n 2: if you've read the previous chapters, you may recall that Parker said that he and Meredith were going to marry at Christmas. Well, when you're in the military, plans sometimes have to change, so this chapter was set in June. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it..._


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: this chapter is a little darker in tone than the others, but I think it still fits the concept of this set of stories. The dialogue is adapted from the episode The Woman in the Car. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura_

The black SUV sped through the dark, damp streets as Booth explained his thinking to Brennan. "Polina's cell phone was never turned off, so it's still sending out a signal, trying to find a cell tower."

"So were they able to triangulate on her location?" Brennan watched as Booth gripped the steering wheel even tighter. He nodded grimly.

"Yeah, but only to within 75 miles, and there are six abandoned gas stations and repair shops in the area...five urban and one rural. SWAT's gonna check out the urban ones, but I'm pretty sure it's the rural one. At least that's the spot I'd use. It's an abandoned truck repair depot...it'd perfect since it's an isolated location…"

Curious about his comments, Brennan turned to Booth. "What do you mean, it's the one you'd choose?"

Avoiding eye contact with her, Booth grimaced as he checked his rear view mirror. "I mean, I used to do this kind of work."

Surprised that her normally chatty partner had nothing else to add, Brennan prodded him a bit. "You mean, you rescued people from hostage situations?"

He stared straight ahead, trying to maintain calm as they drove on through the night. Those memories of his past were unpleasant, and he wasn't sure how much he wanted to share about them with his partner. "Or I was the one people needed rescuing from…" He flicked his eyes at Brennan to gauge her reaction, and was relieved to see she wasn't horrified by his admission.

"Oh." She nodded slightly as she pursed her lips a bit, and they drove on in silence. She tried to imagine Booth deliberately harming someone, but it seemed incongruous with his Special Agent persona. However, she assumed it must be true, since that was what he said. She knew there must be a logical explanation as to why he'd take part in such an activity. She'd talk to him about it later. Right now it was more important that they rescue the little boy.

Fifteen minutes later the SUV pulled up to the end of the driveway that led to the abandoned building. Hidden by the debris that had been left behind when the building was emptied, Booth parked the SUV and quickly got out. He removed his jacket and tie and threw them in the back seat before walking around to the rear of the vehicle. He found his bulletproof vest and put it on, fastening it over his shirt. After rolling up his sleeves, he put a fresh clip in his service revolver. "Okay, Bones...I want you to stay here…"

Brennan exhaled slowly. The bulky bulletproof vest made Booth's broad chest appear to be even more massive, and accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow hips very well. Trying to avoid the distraction presented by his very masculine appearance, she interrupted. "I want to go with you. I don't want to miss anything."

"No!" He shook his head as he checked his revolver again. "These guys are nothing like you've ever seen before. They're ruthless killers, and I can't risk it. I usually enjoy having you along with me, Bones, but I don't want to worry about you right now. I have to focus on recovering Donovan. I need you to be someone you aren't for the next ten minutes and stay here, okay?"

She nodded silently as she turned to look at the rest of the men surrounding the building. She turned back to her partner with concern. "Booth...where's your helmet?"

"What?" He looked over to the HRT members as they were getting ready to storm the building. "A helmet? No, I'm not gonna wear one…"

"Booth!" The alarm was evident in Brennan's voice. "You're going to charge into a building where there are armed mercenaries firing at you and you're not going to wear a helmet? That's quite foolhardy. I can't believe you're going to do that!"

He chuckled sardonically. "Well, I don't wanna mess up my hair. Someone may want to take my picture later after I rescue the kid." Sighing, Booth realized Brennan didn't understand his sarcasm, so he tried to explain again. "Look, Bones...the guys who took Donovan and his mother were probably wearing masks of some sort. The HRT guys wear their helmets down low on their foreheads and it's hard to get a good look at their faces. That kid has already been terrorized enough. He needs to be able to see my face when I talk to him so he knows he can trust me, okay? When I tell him 'paladin', he has to be able to look into my eyes and know I mean it."

"But it's so dangerous. Are you sure it's a good idea?" Brennan bit her lip, trying to control her fear. In her logical mind, she understood that Booth knew what he was doing, but after working a few cases with him, she was surprised to find herself somewhat emotionally attached to him and worried for his safety.

"It'll be fine. The HRT boys will take out the bad guys and I'll follow behind and grab Donovan, alright? I gotta go…" He joined the team leader and went over the plans for entering the building one more time before getting into their positions.

Brennan stayed hidden behind the SUV, trying to stay out of the way, feeling helpless as she watched Booth and the rest of the hostage rescue team charge up the driveway and into the depot. There were angry shouts and several loud bursts of gunfire as the battle raged, and then there were a few minutes of eerie silence before Booth came running out, carrying the small boy in his arms. The rescue had been successful. She ran to join them, relieved that they were safe. The blood soaked bandages on the boy's hand contrasted with the bright white of Booth's shirt as he cradled the boy in his arms, talking softly as he tried to reassure the boy until his father arrived.

It was weeks later when Brennan discovered that Booth had joined the fray as the team charged into the room where the mercenaries were, and that he'd been shot at several times before he killed two of the kidnappers. He'd been in a dangerous situation, with no helmet, just so the little boy would feel safe and secure when Booth tried to rescue him. She smiled to herself as she read the HRT report again. That was Booth...he was the Paladin, the protector of the weak and the defender of the faith that people had in the justice system, and she was proud to be his partner.


	17. Chapter 17

The vision Brennan beheld at that moment was truly quite exhilarating.

She had always enjoyed seeing Booth in a tuxedo, but this time, for some reason, he seemed to be extraordinarily handsome. The inky black jacket draped well across his acromia and was tapered down to his slim waist, nicely delineating his excellent shoulder to hip ratio. The jacket was a perfect length, too, allowing her a tiny peek at his firm gluteus muscles when he moved. The crisp, fitted white shirt hugged his body closely, so that even beneath his jacket his substantial musculature was evident under the silvery studs. The dark bow tie and white shirt against his tanned skin were very attractive, and they also served to accentuate his wonderfully masculine facial features. She smiled to herself as she noticed that he was also wearing some very shiny patent leather shoes. It was a detail he'd remembered just to make her happy, and she appreciated his thoughtfulness. She watched as he made his way through the crowd of people who were present at this event. The fluidity of his movements under the dark fabric reminded her of a magnificent panther. He was like a beautiful, sleek wild animal, quickly moving toward her with a barely controlled power and an understated sense of grace.

Yes, she'd seen Booth in a tuxedo many times before, but today, it seemed to her that he looked significantly more attractive than any of those other times. The way her heart danced as he walked toward her, wearing that big smile, told her that she was also _feeling_ something different about his appearance, too, but she was somewhat unsure of exactly what that was. As a supremely practical and rational woman, she knew it certainly wasn't logical to feel differently when she saw him today, as it was just Booth in a nice tuxedo...nothing new there... but it was apparent to her that the way he looked today had a much greater significance for her than normal. Trembling with anticipation, she felt herself flushing with desire as he grew near and reached out to take her hand.

"Hey, Bones." He grinned as he winked at her. "Are you having a good time?"

"Very much so." She turned to look at the people dancing behind her. "I wonder if we should join the party."

"Maybe in a little bit. Right now…" He nodded toward a pair of chairs. "...I wanna just sit here for a minute and enjoy how things are."

Brennan's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I don't know what that means...how things are...that seems to be a rather nebulous statement, even coming from you, Booth."

He chuckled as he ran his thumb across the back of her hand. "Yeah...I know, and I'm not sure I can explain it very well, either." He watched as people laughed and danced and helped themselves to the wide array of hors d'oeuvres on the buffet tables. Glasses clinked as people enjoyed champagne and cocktails from the open bar. Everyone was enjoying themselves tremendously.

Sighing, Booth turned to her and tried to explain what he was feeling. "Okay, look. I've looked forward to this day for a long time, you know? For years..."

"That's what you've said many times over the last few months." Brennan nodded, still confused.

"Right." He hesitated, hoping he could explain this idea so she'd understand. "And I'm really glad it's finally here, and I'm glad that everyone else is here to share it with us, but for just a few minutes I want it to be where what's ours is just ours, okay? I want to spend the first ten minutes of our married life just sitting here with you...just you and me sharing this time by ourselves together. I want to savor how special this moment is for me after I've waited so long for it." He smiled as he studied her appearance. "I want to remember just how beautiful you look as a bride, Bones. I mean, I know we're gonna have pictures, but I want to remember this in my heart, too."

"Booth…" Brennan started to explain that memories were chemically stored in the brain, but she remembered Booth's metaphorical streak and decided against it. She entwined her fingers with his as she spoke. "I want to remember this day as well. When I stood at the end of the aisle with my father today, and I saw you standing there at the other end, smiling as you waited for me to join you so we could be married, I noticed that you looked much better than normal in your tuxedo today, which is quite bizarre, because I always think you look good in a tuxedo." She giggled a bit before continuing. "Today your appearance is quite amazing, although I'm not sure exactly what's different about it." She cast an appraising eye at her new husband. "Isn't this the type of tuxedo you normally rent for formal affairs?"

"Yeah, and it's still as uncomfortable as it usually is, but I promised you that I'd wear a tuxedo, remember? So that's what you got today...a tuxedo." Fidgeting with his tie, Booth shook his head as he laughed out loud. "Listen, if I do look better than normal in this monkey suit, Bones, it's only because I'm so happy to finally be married to you." He paused, trying to find just the right words. "Actually, I'm better than happy. I'm ecstatic...in fact, I don't even know if there's any words that can explain how great I feel right now." He ran his finger across her wedding band. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world, Bones. I get to call you my wife. You...the amazing, caring, intelligent, beautiful woman that you are...you love _me,_ and I still can't believe it. Out of all the guys in the world, you love me, and, not only that, you decided to marry me. Jesus...it's unbelievable. I don't know what to say...except that I'll love you for the rest of my life, and I just wanna sit here for a few minutes and let that all soak in. You married _me._ "

"Of course I married you, Booth. It seemed like the rational thing to do." She gave him a flirty grin as he grimaced slightly. "You are the only man who has accepted me for exactly who I am without trying to change me into someone else. You love me even though I'm bossy, and evidently I have a tendency to be a know-it-all. We're _very_ compatible sexually, and we have a child together. You've protected me many times from both physical and emotional harm. Given your devout religious views, I decided that the best way to make sure you stayed with me for the long term was to marry you."

"Yeah, great. That's a very romantic statement to make on our wedding day." Booth rolled his eyes at his new wife as he chuckled sarcastically. "I'm glad to know our marriage was merely a rational decision for you…"

"However, love isn't rational, Booth." Smiling sweetly at him, she shrugged, slightly embarrassed as she felt him watching her. "I love you, Booth, and I can't imagine living my life without you. All of the other reasons I gave you are true, but they all add up to the fact that I love you, and that's why I married you." She leaned over to kiss him and giggled softly. "Of course, it was a point in your favor that you do look very good in a tuxedo." Squeezing his thigh gently, she gave him a flirty wink. "You also look very good without any clothing at all. I find that I've spent a lot of time the last few weeks anticipating our wedding night…"

Booth smiled as he stood up and pulled Brennan up out of her chair. "In that case, maybe we should go mingle a bit at the reception so we make our escape quickly…" Embracing her, he twitched his eyebrow at her before kissing her again. "And then maybe we can find a place to get rid of these fancy clothes and start the honeymoon early."

They walked hand and hand among their guests for an hour, patiently greeting the friends and family members who had attended their somewhat impromptu wedding. Brennan glanced at her new husband several times, and found herself quite satisfied with her decision to choose Booth to be her husband. In a tuxedo, in an FBI regulation suit, or in casual clothes, it made no difference. This very handsome man was now her husband, and he loved her no matter what he was wearing, and especially if he was wearing nothing at all. Smiling to herself, she nodded. No matter what she'd told Booth earlier, she knew she'd made a completely rational choice when she'd chosen to marry him.

After all, the vision she beheld of him, no matter what his clothing choices were, was always truly exhilarating.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: inspired by the Thursday evening chat on Bonesology. Thanks for the idea, girls..._

It was a warm, sunny Saturday afternoon as Brennan walked through the family room with a basket of dirty laundry. She paused, smiling to herself, as she noticed her husband standing by the kitchen sink, looking out the window as he drank a glass of water. He'd been mowing the yard, so he was soaked with perspiration, but Brennan sighed contentedly as she shifted the laundry basket to her hip. Booth was wearing a grass stained, sleeveless undershirt and a pair of old knit athletic shorts that hit him about three inches above his knee. Logically, Brennan knew that most women would not find Booth's mowing clothes to be sexy, but she appreciated the way those clothes lay across his well muscled frame, which, to her way of thinking, emphasized just how well structured he was. Finding the view to be irresistible, she put the clothes basket on the kitchen counter and walked over to give him a hug.

"Oh, hey, Bones." He smiled at her as she wrapped her arms around him. "Be careful. I'm really dirty and sweaty...you don't want to get stuff on your clothes, do you?"

"I don't really care about that right now. I can't help noticing how very attractive you are in your yard work clothes." She ran her hands down his well muscled arms. "Your undershirt shows off your acromia quite well, and I like the way the perspiration beads up on your deltoid and biceps muscles."

"Yeah?" Booth grinned as he flexed his arm muscles a bit. "Maybe I should wear an undershirt like this more often." He embraced her and began to rub her back. "Who knew doing yard work could make a guy so sexy?"

"I like these shorts, too. They cling to you in all the right places." Brennan reached down and patted Booth's firm gluteus muscles. "Especially here…" She patted him again and then ran her hand from the waistband of the shorts to the hem.

"Watch it there, Bones...be careful with the merchandise." He squirmed a bit as she rubbed his muscles again, finding himself becoming somewhat aroused. "I still got part of the yard to do. I can't play right now…" Seeing her look of confusion, he chuckled softly. "What's the matter? It's not like you haven't felt my ass before…not much has changed down there..."

A sly grin crept across Brennan's face. "Booth...are you going ranger?"

Now it was Booth's turn to be confused. "What? I don't know...Oh, I get it. You mean, am I going commando? Well, yeah…I'm being a commando today."

"You're not wearing any underwear!" Brennan smirked as she pinched Booth's butt. "I find that to be very surprising!"

"Well, you know...boxers don't really fit under these shorts, and briefs chafe me when it's this hot." He paused as saw his wife's sultry grin. "What?"

"This bit of information just makes me wonder how many other times you've gone commando and I wasn't aware of it. I find that to be rather alluring. I suppose this behavior goes with your other 'small rebellions' that Gordon-Gordon mentioned so many years ago...you know, wild ties, crazy socks, and no undershorts."

"C'mon, Bones...remember? I admitted that sometimes I go commando back when we had that case about those truth at all cost people. We were at that meeting, and they wanted me to tell them something truthful about myself, right? Goddamn clown. You can't really be that surprised to find that I don't wear underwear all the time..."

"Of course, I remember, but I didn't think that statement was actually true…I thought you'd just said the first thing that came to mind." Brennan tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "Do you go commando with your suits as well?"

"Not normally. Suit fabric is too itchy when it rubs against my crotch, you know? I have a couple of times with jeans, but sometimes the zipper rubs me the wrong way. These shorts are pretty soft..."

"I would think that your Captain America briefs would fit under these shorts if you didn't want to wear your skeevies…"

"I think you mean skivvies...or tidy whities, right? Well, like I said, that sort of undershorts can chafe bad when I'm hot and sweaty…" He twitched his eyebrow at Brennan as he bent down to kiss her. "...and the Captain America briefs are for very special occasions, like when I spend time with Wonder Woman…"

"Of course. I understand." Brennan licked her lips as she ran her fingers across Booth's chest. "I suppose you didn't realize that Wonder Woman likes to go commando as well…"

Booth exhaled sharply as he remembered his wife in her Wonder Woman costume. "Seriously, Bones...you did not go commando…"

"I admit that I did, and not only that, but also that it was mostly for the sake of vanity. I didn't like the way my panty lines showed under those snug shorts, so I decided to go without, and I found, to my surprise, that I was quite comfortable without them. I think that it's actually quite practical to go without underclothes when it's warm...my time is at a premium on the weekend, and I would have fewer clothes to wash…"

"No way, Bones...you can't go to work without wearing panties…" Just the thought of his wife going to a crime scene without wearing the proper undergarments made Booth both annoyed and horny as hell. "That's not gonna happen. You can't go out in the field without underwear. It just isn't right, you know?"

"I fail to understand why it's acceptable for men to go commando, but it's not acceptable for women to do so. My underclothes chafe me from time to time as well, especially my bras. I see no reason why I shouldn't be comfortable while I'm at work…"

Booth swallowed hard at the idea of his wife going out in public without a bra. All those other guys eyeing her beautiful, unfettered breasts...that wasn't gonna happen on his watch. "Listen, Bones, it just doesn't work that way, alright? You gotta wear underclothes…ladies wear bras and panties when they go out in public..."

"Only because of social and cultural mores that are designed to keep females in bondage to what men desire for them. Anthropologically speaking, Booth, men are quite concerned with keeping their female companions from appearing to be too sexually alluring to other men, and one way to do that is to prescribe what kind of clothing they should wear in public…"

Rolling his eyes, Booth decided he'd heard enough. He pulled his wife closely and kissed her deeply. "I tell you what. Just to prove that I'm not one of those sexist pigs who are trying to push some cultural mumbo-jumbo garbage on women, I think we should both spend some time going commando later this evening, okay? In fact, we can go without any clothes at all, if you want…"

Chuckling softly, Brennan nodded. "Alright, I agree with your suggestion for later, although I might have a hard time waiting that long since I'll be thinking of you mowing the yard in your commando state." Walking to the counter, she picked up the clothes basket. "I guess I'd better put these clothes in the washer or the whole family will have to go commando…"

"Yeah…" Booth watched his wife retreating into the laundry room, appreciating how great she looked in her very snug jeans, when it occurred to him what was missing. _Wait...no panty lines. Bones is going commando, too…_ "Hey, Bones...wait up. I think I should help you out with that laundry…" Smiling to himself as he sauntered after her, he nodded. That was the good thing about going commando...it was a lot easier to get undressed….


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: My apologies for the lack of recent updates for this series. For this chapter I was inspired by one of Rynogeny's blog entries, where she mentioned that we fans would probably get most everything we wanted out of the last few episodes of Bones, except for possibly Booth in a pink tutu. That made me think...why not have Booth in a pink tutu? Wouldn't that be fun? Unfortunately it didn't work out for him to be wearing a tutu in the strictest sense of the word, but I think you'll enjoy the story anyway. Some of you might think it's a stretch, but that's the fun of fan fiction, and given what we know of Booth's character, I don't think it's too far afield._

 _By the way...this chapter is set toward the end of season 11, so Aubrey and Jessica are still an item._

* * *

Booth glanced at the clock on the microwave oven as Christine helped him load the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher. "Okay, Sweetheart, Mommy should be home soon. We need to straighten things up in the family room before your friends get here so she won't have to worry about doing that before the party…"

Christine beamed at her father as he wiped down the kitchen counter. "I so 'cited about the party, Daddy! It's gonna be so much fun to have a ballet party! I'm so glad Mommy thought of it!"

Smiling as he tousled his daughter's hair, Booth winked at Christine. "Guess what? I think Mommy's gonna wear a tutu just like the rest of the girls at the party. That'll be fun, right? Remember when we showed you the video of her on that science show? I think she's gonna wear something that…"

"I hope she doesn't wear that bones leotard under it…" Christine pouted a bit as she thought about her mother's appearance in the Bunsen Jude episode. "It wouldn't be very pretty..."

"C'mon, Christine...your mommy's always pretty…" Booth was interrupted by his ringing telephone. "Booth...Bones? Where are you? It sounds really noisy there…"

Brennan sighed quietly, knowing that her husband would probably not be pleased with the information she had to share. "I'm still at the airport in Dallas…"

"What?!" Booth was horrified. "But you're supposed to be here in an hour to host the party for Christine's dance class, remember? Now what are we going to do?"

"Of course, I remember." Brennan rolled her eyes at her husband's silly question. "However, there's nothing I can do about it. I'm in one of the airport's underground tunnels with several other passengers. It seems we're under a tornado warning here in Dallas, and, as you might imagine, the airline doesn't want their multimillion dollar jet flying through that sort of intense storm, especially when it's carrying passengers. However, the weather system spawning the severe weather should pass through here within the next couple of hours, and they're estimating that my flight will arrive in DC around four this afternoon…"

"Well, that's just great!", Booth growled. "What am I gonna do with ten little girls in tutus and tiaras, Bones? It's too late to call everyone and cancel the party. I mean, I picked up the cupcakes, and we made some fruit skewers and a lot of punch and cooked some hot dogs, so the food's taken care of, but weren't you gonna dance with them while you listened to Swan Lake or something fancy like that?" Booth was feeling frantic as he looked out the kitchen window, trying to figure out how to entertain their little party guests when they arrived. "It's raining here, too, so they can't play outside, and what am I gonna do with Hank? Remember, you were gonna stay home with the girls from the dance school, and I was gonna take Hank to do something fun…"

"I've already called Angela, and she volunteered to take Hank for the afternoon, but she can't stay for the party because she's expecting the cable repairman to come to her house later today." Annoyed with Booth's tantrum, Brennan interrupted his rant. "Surely you've been to enough birthday parties to know what sort of entertainment you can provide to keep small children occupied. It'll be fine, Booth. Anyway, it's not like we can control the weather. The girls will enjoy whatever indoor activities you plan, and it's only for a couple of hours. Maybe Jasmine's mother will stay to assist you if you ask her nicely…" Brennan chuckled to herself, knowing what Booth would say to that suggestion.

"No way. That woman gives me the creeps...always checking me out like I'm a hunk of fresh meat. I swear she's gonna jump me some day." Booth shuddered at the thought before setting his jaw resolutely. "You know what? I'll be fine all by myself. If I can take down crazed serial killers and desperate criminals, I can handle ten little girls in ballet costumes, right?"

"I know you'll be fine. I'll see you later this afternoon. I love you, Booth..." Brennan ended the call and smiled as she thought of Booth being in charge of the ballet party. It would definitely provide an interesting story for dinner conversation that evening.

Booth jammed his phone into his pocket and smiled tentatively at his daughter. "Mommy's flight is delayed, and she can't be here until later this afternoon…" He paused as he saw the tears begin to gather in Christine's eyes. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Sweetheart. Your daddy is gonna make sure that this will be the best dance class party that Miss Kimmie's School of Dance has ever seen, alright? So let's get everything straightened up before you change…"

Oooooooooo

The guests had all arrived on schedule that rainy afternoon, and the party in full swing. After a spirited game of musical chairs, the cupcakes, covered with thick bubblegum pink icing, had been passed out, and the girls were all enjoying their fruit skewers and strawberry punch. Booth nodded happily as he ladled out more punch into pink party cups and passed out more hot dogs and chips to the crowd of party goers. He was surprised to find that giving a party like this seemed to be surprisingly simple. He couldn't imagine why his wife always made such a production out of having a few little girls over for the afternoon. Even with the rain, the girls were easily entertained with simple games. In fact, he thought he might even suggest that they have the Brownie troop meeting at their house next month…

"Daddy…" Christine interrupted her father's musings by pulling on his tee shirt. "We all wanna dance now. Can you put on some music for us?"

"Sure. Let's see what Mommy has in her collection that we can dance to…" Booth looked through the CD rack and selected some likely candidates. "Foreigner? Nah, I don't think so. Here we go...Nutcracker Suite mix...Sleeping Beauty...how about this one...Swan Lake…" He loaded the CDs into the player and pressed the play button. "There, that sounds nice, doesn't it?"

The little girls soon began spinning in crazy circles, dancing on their toes as they gyrated around the family room, jumping and leaping in several directions, trying to keep time with the music as they twirled. "Hey, watch out for the television…", Booth bellowed, steering the girls toward another part of the room. It seemed that all of the small ballerinas had morphed into fluffy demolition derby cars, determined to take each other out of commission with their jetes and plies as they jostled against each other for position. Moving quickly across the room, Booth caught a large lamp as it teetered on the edge of the end table. "Okay, girls, wait…wait just a minute…STOP!" The startled girls all stopped what they were doing and stood gaping at him as he used the remote to pause the music. "I think we need to move some of the furniture and breakables out of the way and then we can dance some more, okay?" He grabbed the arm of the sofa and moved it back several feet before moving the coffee table out of the center of the room. "There...better, right?" The girls all nodded at him. "So, let's dance some more…"

"Daddy…" Christine stood with her arms crossed over her chest, wearing an expression that indicated she was obviously miffed with him. "...you keep saying 'let's dance', but you're not dancing with us. Mommy said she was gonna dance with us. She said she took ballet lessons, and that she was a good dancer…"

"Nah, your Mommy has some sort of crooked isostitial thingy in her leg and hip so she didn't dance very good when she was young." Booth grinned as he pointed his thumb at his chest. "Now, your Daddy, on the other hand, used to teach ladies how to do ballroom dancing at a dance school for grown ups." Booth smiled proudly as the little girls oohed and aahed over his statement. "I can do the tango, the foxtrot, the rumba, the samba, the waltz…you name it, and I can dance it."

Jasmine raised her hand. "That's really cool, Mr. Booth, but can you do ballet?"

"Um, well...that's not exactly the kind of dancing I did, you know? I mostly danced with a partner to more popular music instead of that fancypants classical stuff." He paused as he looked around the room. "Hey, where's Christine? She's missing all the fun."

"Here I am, Daddy. Look what I brought you!" Christine ran into the family room and held up an adult sized hot pink net and tulle skirt. "It's Mommy's dance outfit. If you're gonna dance ballet with us, you need to wear this…" The little girls squealed and clamored for Booth to put the full skirt on over his jeans. "And here's a tiara for you…"

"Christine, I don't think it'll fit…" Booth cringed as he looked over the gaudy skirt. "I don't think so, honey…and I definitely don't need a tiara..."

"Pul-eeezzze, Daddy?" Christine's lower lip began to protrude and quiver slightly as she blinked back her tears. "Pul-eeezzze?"

Jeez...just what Booth needed...another female in the family who could get whatever she wanted from him just by pouting and batting her eyelashes at him. "Okay, maybe I'll try, but I have to be careful with it when I pull it on. I don't want to tear it…" He stepped into the skirt and pulled it up over his narrow hips, adjusting the elastic and ribbon ties a bit as he did. "Hey, whatd'ya know? It fits!"

"Here's your crown, Daddy." The little girls all cheered as Booth did a pretend pirouette in his fluffy skirt and sparkling tiara. He pointed the remote at the CD player with a flourish.

"Okay, now, my beautiful ballerinas...dance party time!"

The music changed from Swan Lake to the Nutcracker, and the girls laughed with delight. "Daddy, this was our recital music, remember?", Christine giggled as she swayed with the music. Soon a whole tableau of mice, fairies, and nutcrackers moved somewhat gracefully across the family room in time to the music.

"Very nice. Oh, there's the doorbell…" Booth jogged to the door, completely forgetting about the pink fabric swishing around his knees and the jeweled crown on his head. "Hey, Aubrey, what's up? Why are you here on a Saturday afternoon?"

"Um, I think I forgot my sunglasses in your car." Trying not to stare, Aubrey craned his neck to look into the family room before giving his partner a silly grin. "So, why are you wearing a pink ballet skirt, Booth? Is part of your dance teacher persona?"

"Dammit! I forgot!" Booth glanced down at his clothes, grabbing his tiara as it started to slip from his head. "Okay, listen, Aubrey...not a word about this at the Hoover, okay? Bones got stuck at the airport in Dallas, so I was just trying to help Christine's dance class have a good time at their party. Hey, put that damn phone away...I swear, I'll break your arm if you take my picture...or, better yet, I'll send Jessica a copy of that video I have of you singing with that college a capella group…you remember, right? Puffy hairdo and big bow tie?"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Christine came running to the door and grabbed her father's hand, pulling him toward the family room. "Oh, hi, Uncle Aubrey. We're having a ballet dancing party. Do you like to dance, too? My daddy is a real good ballet dancer. Come dance with us some more, Daddy…please?"

"See, Aubrey?" Booth glared sternly at the younger man's merry laughter. "See how happy my daughter is? This is what good dads do for their kids, alright? Sometimes they do silly things and sometimes they wear silly clothes, okay?" Pulling up the hem of his skirt, Booth reached into the pocket of his jeans. "Here are the keys for the SUV...but not a word about my dance outfit at work, right, Aubrey? This stays between me and you, got it?" Booth scowled as he shook his finger at Aubrey, who shrugged a shoulder and grinned good naturedly at his partner.

"Alright, I won't say anything about your nice new dress at work, but I guess you know what this means, right, Booth? If you want me to keep this little bit of information quiet, it means I'm gonna get to drive us out to the crime scenes for the next month…" Laughing at Booth's irritation, Aubrey pulled his phone out of his pocket again. "Jessica's already seen the video of me singing, by the way…she liked it. She thought it was cute."

"A month of you driving? That's crazy! You drive like a turtle, Aubrey...worse than that...like a little old granny turtle. You drive so slow that a month of your driving is gonna be at least six weeks long!" Hearing something crash and the swirl of giggles that followed, Booth pleaded with his partner one more time. "Listen, I gotta get back to the party, alright? C'mon, man…have a heart. I'm just trying to be a good dad here...you don't need to open me up to ridicule at the office, right? I mean, we are friends, right?"

"Oh, okay. Two weeks of me driving, and one little picture for Dr. B…." Aubrey snapped a picture with his phone and darted away from the house, laughing all the way down the driveway where the SUV was parked. "I'll see you Monday…"

"Yeah, right…" Booth shut the door with a bang and walked back into the family room. "Okay, girls...let's boogie…"

Oooooooooo

Brennan came home from the airport and found Booth napping in his chair. She tapped him gently on the shoulder to rouse him. "How did the party go, Booth? I assume everyone had a good time..."

"Yeah, it was great. It really helped that you had so much of it planned out ahead of time. The girls all danced and ate plenty of hot dogs and cupcakes. We played musical chairs, telephone, and they danced like crazy. They all seemed to have a lot of fun. Christine got pretty tired, so she's taking a nap. Angela should be here pretty soon with Hank." Booth rose from his chair to embrace his wife. Kissing her tenderly, he smiled. "How was your trip?"

"My speaking engagement at Southern Methodist University was well attended, so I was pleased about that. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse just as I was about to board the plane for my flight home, but the staff at the airport were obviously well trained, and the waiting passengers were evacuated from the main floor of the airport to an underground shelter. I'm tired, but probably not as tired as you are." She caressed Booth's arms as he pulled her closer. "Thank you for making the dance class party a success, Booth. I know Christine and the other girls appreciated your efforts."

"No problem, Bones. Hey, you know...maybe later this evening we can have a dance party of our own...just the two of us…" Booth twitched his eyebrow at Brennan. "We won't even need any special party clothes for the kind of dancing I have in mind…"

"That sounds like a very enjoyable way to spend our evening." Brennan winked at her husband and smiled as she picked up her bag and headed for the bedroom. "I'm going to go put these things away before Angela arrives."

She waited until she was in the bedroom to take another look at the picture Aubrey had sent her. There was her handsome husband, wearing his best ratty jeans, snug black tee shirt, hot pink ballet skirt, and sparkling crown. Chuckling as she looked at the picture, she nodded in appreciation. Booth was not only an exceptional FBI agent and loving parent, he was also a very attractive man, even when wearing fluffy pink tulle and a tiara. Making a mental note to get a few copies of the picture made, Brennan smiled as she unpacked her suitcase, looking forward to the dancing lesson Booth would be giving her later that evening. She laughed softly as she put her suitcase in the closet. Male ballet dancers were usually quite physically fit and muscular, much as her husband was. Perhaps it would be interesting to have Booth start their dance lesson in his tutu, and then she could investigate his musculature more closely as they participated in their very intimate pas de deux.

Laughing softly, she licked her lips in anticipation of the evening's special recital. Who knew just how sexy a man could be when he was wearing a hot pink tutu?

* * *

 _Who knew, indeed...I think a lot of us would volunteer to take dancing lessons from Booth..._


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: this chapter is set 15 years in the future. The places mentioned in this story are real. Oklahoma is full of surprises._

* * *

Brennan looked at the place settings on the dining room table with satisfaction. Everything was ready for a very important celebration. Tonight they would be enjoying a lavish dinner to celebrate Booth's sixtieth birthday with their family and closest friends.

She glanced from the table to the sofa, where the guest of honor was stretched out, snoring softly as he enjoyed a nap. Brennan smiled as he twitched slightly in his sleep. Even at sixty, his well toned physique was in excellent condition, especially considering all of the wear and tear it had endured over his eventful lifetime. She had been quite relieved when he'd finally taken a different position with the FBI. He was now in charge of graduate recruitment for the eastern half of the country, supervising the corps of agents who visited universities in the region as they tried to encourage students to consider lending their talents to the preservation of law and order while working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Booth did have to travel a lot for this job, but because he was so much safer doing that sort of work than when he was trying to capture and detain the criminal element of society, Brennan was willing to make that tradeoff. Booth had promised that he'd retire permanently at age 65, and when he did, she'd become semi-retired as well so they could spend more time together. She nodded happily as she watched him sleep, thinking about how much she was looking forward to that portion of their life.

A sleepy eye finally blinked open, and a lazy smile spread across Booth's face. "So I caught you checking me out, huh, Bones? What'dya think? Ready to trade me in on a newer model?"

"No, of course not." Brennan chuckled as she moved to sit on the edge of the sofa cushion next to Booth. "I believe that you are what is known in the vernacular as a classic, and as such, you'll become more valuable with age, so I plan to keep you for many more years."

"I see." He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'm glad to hear it." He reached up to brush Brennan's hair back behind her ear. "Hey, I have an idea about what I want for my birthday gift. What about me and you make our way back to our bedroom and celebrate my birthday right now, before the party guests arrive? You know, just an intimate little party for two?"

Brennan smirked as she ran her hands over Booth's broad shoulders. "Why adjourn to the bedroom at all? What's wrong with making love right here on the couch?"

"Well, for one thing, at my age I'm not sure my back can handle wild sex on the sofa any more, and for another, Hank should be home from work any minute…"

"Hank is seventeen, Booth...I'm sure he knows we have sex…" Brennan giggled at her husband's exasperation and embarrassment. She shrugged nonchalantly as she gave him a coy smile. "I've already purchased your gift, Booth...I'm not sure you deserve two. Do you think you can handle all of that excitement in one evening?"

"Aw, c'mon...it's a milestone birthday, right? Besides, the gift I have in mind won't cost you very much. In fact, you might like it, too…" Booth began to caress his wife tenderly. "It'll make you very happy…"

"Oh, okay...but I think we need to be watchful of the time." Brennan glanced at the clock on the mantle. "Our guests will be arriving at six, and I still have a few things to do before dinner. We will need to be efficient…"

Booth chuckled as he sat up on the couch. "Well, you know, Bones, efficiency is my middle name." He stood up and took his wife's hand as he began to sing softly to himself. "Happy Birthday to me…"

Oooooooooo

Angela and Hodgins arrived promptly at six with their sons Michael-Vincent and Jeffrey in tow, along with their newly adopted four year old daughter, Katie. Katie had quickly developed a crush on her 'Unka Boo', following him around the house whenever her new family was visiting Booth and Brennan, and demanding to sit on his lap whenever possible. "Booth...", Angela began as she reached for her little girl. "...you really don't need to hold her every second she's here…"

"Aw, she's fine, aren't you, Katie girl?" The small child laughed with delight as Booth bounced her on his knee. "I think it's great you guys decided to adopt her…"

"Well, you know, that wasn't the original plan for our later years, but when I saw the article on the internet about the lack of adoptive families for children with special needs, it was like it was written just for me." Angela smiled as she handed Katie a well loved stuffed bear. "I didn't think Hodgins would be open to the idea, since our boys are almost grown, but he thought it was a great plan, so here we are, with a new family member to love. We'll be able to devote a lot of time to her now, and she's already shown a lot of improvement in her verbal skills since she first came to live with us." Angela tilted her head, smiling at her daughter. "Katie, remember what we practiced for the party?"

"Unka Boo...Happy birfday!" Katie hugged Booth's neck and gave him a kiss as he beamed with pleasure. "Where's all your presents?"

"We'll open them after dinner. Auntie T made us some vegetable lasagna, and it's really good. Anyway, we gotta wait for everybody to get here first. Parker and his wife are coming soon. Do you remember them?"

As if on cue, Parker and his wife Meredith were at the door, laughing and apologizing profusely for being late. "Hey, Dad...Happy birthday. Looking good, old man! Where's Christine and Hank?"

Brennan pointed to her office. "They're putting the finishing touches on your father's birthday gift. Would you like a glass of wine, Parker? Meredith?"

Meredith smiled bashfully. "Just some water, thanks. Here's the salad and bread…"

"Thank you." After setting the food on the table, Brennan called out to her children. "Hank? Christine? Dinner's ready. Come and eat…"

Oooooooooo

The vegetable lasagna was passed around, and soon the dining room was filled with happy chatter and laughter. The adults grinned slyly at each other, pretending not to notice that Christine was furtively holding Michael-Vincent's hand under the table. Hank and Jeffrey seemed to be having a contest to see who could eat the most lasagna in the shortest period of time, and Parker was entertaining everyone with stories about life aboard a Coast Guard cutter as it patrolled the Atlantic.

When the meal was over, Meredith helped Brennan clear the dishes, and then they brought a large chocolate sheet cake to the table. _Happy Birthday, Booth_ was spelled out with blue icing, and two large candles had been placed in the center. "I wasn't sure I'd have time to put all sixty candles on your cake", Brennan laughed. Everyone sang the birthday song before he blew out the candles, and then it was time for Booth to open his gifts.

"Here...this one's from us." Angela handed Booth a large, very bulky package. "I hope you have a place for it."

Booth quickly tore the brown paper away from the package and laughed happily. "Oh, wow! This is great, you guys. You painted this, right, Angela?" It was a framed watercolor portrait of Booth's favorite hockey player, Luc Robitaille, skating down the ice toward the goal. "This'll look great in my office…"

"Here, Daddy. This is from Hank and me…" Christine let go of Michael-Vincent's hand long enough to hand her father a small gift bag. "I hope you like it…"

"I'm sure I will, Chrissy. Hey, great...tickets to see the Phillies play the Nationals this June, except...the game's in Phillie…" Booth was really confused as he looked at his wife. "I don't get it. Did the kids make a mistake, Bones?"

"No, of course not." She chuckled as he looked at the tickets again. "We're going to take the train to Philadelphia that weekend and go to the three game series. It's a day/night doubleheader on Saturday and a Sunday matinee. I've already gotten us some rooms at a hotel within walking distance of the ballpark…"

Still slightly confused, Booth shook his head. "But this is from the kids...they can't afford this…"

"Daddy…" Christine sighed quietly. "...Hank and I both have part time jobs, remember? We've been saving for this trip for a long time...Mom paid for the hotel…"

"...but we bought the tickets." Hank nodded proudly at his father. "We got good seats behind the home dugout. Parker helped us out, too."

Christine smiled at her brother and sister in law. "Are you gonna get to go to the games with us?"

Parker shook his head sadly. "I don't think so, Chrissy, unless I can get my rotation changed. I'm scheduled to be at sea that month, but I'm gonna talk to my captain and see what we can do. I might be able to make it on Sunday." Glancing at Meredith and seeing her slight nod in agreement, Parker handed his father another package. "I got this for you while I was in Oklahoma City last week."

Booth laughed as he inspected the gift box. "I still can't figure out why the Coast Guard would send you to a landlocked state…"

Shrugging as he ate a bite of cake, Parker explained. "Oklahoma has two international ports on the Arkansas River, which flows into the Mississippi, so that part of the intercoastal waterway is patrolled by the Coast Guard, but I was actually in Norman at the University of Oklahoma. They have one of the best meteorology schools in the country, and we were receiving training on the different types of weather systems that affect the Gulf of Mexico, like hurricanes. The university has a contract with the government to do that sort of thing." Watching his father open the gift, he continued. "While we were there, some of us guys went to this little town called Arcadia, where they have this diner called "Pops", mostly because they carry about 700 different flavors of soda pop. It's kind of a retro place, so I thought you might like a shirt from the restaurant."

Booth held up the gray tee shirt for everyone to see. Printed on the front was an old fashioned red bottle cap with the word 'Pops' written across it in a flowing script. "Cool...maybe if me and Bones ever make it to Oklahoma, we can visit the place. It sounds like fun."

"Yeah, you'd like it." Parker winked at Meredith as he continued. "There's another reason I got you that shirt, you know? In about five months, everybody's gonna get to call you Pops…"

"Pops? What? I don't understand." Stunned, Booth sat quietly for a few seconds. "No...wait...Parker...you...and Meredith...you're...no way…you two are having a baby?"

Meredith blushed slightly as she smiled at Parker. "Not just a baby, Booth...twins...two boys. Ian and Henry will be here at the end of September if things go according to plan…" Soon everyone at the table was talking at once as they discussed the happy news.

Everyone except Hank, that is. The teenager groaned loudly as he threw his napkin on the table. "Great. Just what we needed...another Hank Booth in the world…" Catching his mother's disapproving glare, he cleared his throat. "Great news, Parker…"

Laughing at his little brother, Parker shook off Hank's outburst. "Don't worry, Hank. We're gonna call him Henry...it's a family name for Meredith's side as well as ours."

"Congratulations, you two. Man, what a great birthday gift!" Booth pulled on his new tee shirt and ran his finger over the script. "Pops. I'm gonna be Pops. That's amazing. I'm gonna get to be Pops. I just hope I can be half as good at it as my Pops was..."

"You'll do fine, Dad. I think you're gonna be really good at it." Parker brushed away a tear as he took Meredith's hand in his. "We're pleased that you're so happy."

Uncertain about what had caused all the sudden commotion, Katie crawled back into Booth's lap and studied his face with all the seriousness of a four year old child. "Are you sad, Unka Boo?" She reached up to pat his cheek. "Your face is wet."

"I'm okay, Katie girl. Don't worry. I'm not sad. I'm gonna be a grandpa, that's all, and it makes me really happy." He grinned across the table at his wife who smiled happily in return. "You knew, didn't you? About Parker and Meredith expecting the babies? You've known for while..."

"I suspected as much, but I knew Parker and Meredith would want to be the ones to share the news with you. You were surprised, weren't you?" Brennan was thrilled with the joy Booth was experiencing as he discussed the impending birth of his grandsons with his son and daughter in law.

"Oh, yeah, I was surprised. It's been a wonderful day...the food, the company, finding out I'm gonna be a grandpa...my early gift from you...everything. This is the best birthday I've ever had." He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "I love you so much. Thanks for everything, Bones."

Entwining her fingers with his, she nodded. "Happy birthday, Booth. I love you, too."


End file.
